A new prison opening in the city of Marawi on the Philippine island of Mindanao “symbolizes change” in the Philippines’ penal system, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The Marawi City Jail, built by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and inaugurated in May 2024, was established under Nelson Mandela’s Rules.
This Code defines generally accepted principles and good practices in the treatment of prisoners and the management of prisons in detention facilities worldwide.
The Philippines is now home to some of the most crowded prisons in the world.
Daniel Dickinson spoke with Renato Reynaldo Roales, a National Programme Officer at UNODC based in Mindanao, and started by asking him to describe the facility.
