Justice for the Least and Last: The Digitization of Prison Records as a Catalyst for Faster Delivery of Justice

by Chiara Zambrano

Stacks of paper carpetas or prison records reach the floor of Records Section at the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) in Manila, Philippines. These records have now been digitized through the partnership of BuCor and the EU-GOJUST Programme.

In the Philippines, prison records are called carpetas – files containing basic information about an inmate, from personal data, basic crime information, to date of arrest and detention.

Each one of the more than 54,000 Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) now serving their sentences in Philippine correctional facilities has a carpeta to their name. But while comprehensive, these carpetas were once all in paper and stored in the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) headquarters in Manila. With the BuCor running seven correctional facilities across the country, the process of searching for each paper carpeta, photocopying, and sending them by courier to and from these facilities took a considerable amount of time, delaying the processing of justice for these PDLs.

A Person Deprived of Liberty sits away from his cellmates to cool himself in the noonday heat at the New Bilibid Prison Maximum Security Compound.

In 2002, the European Union’s Governance in Justice (EU-GOJUST) Programme, of which the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an implementing partner, supported the Department of Justice in digitising all inmate carpetas, creating an online database accessible to all correctional facilities and justice agencies. EU-GOJUST contracted the software developer, and donated high-speed scanners, laptops, and biometric equipment for the digitisation process.

In 2024, the BuCor announced the completion of the digitization of 50,000 carpetas. It will now be easier for the BuCor to identify PDLs eligible for release, preventing them from being detained beyond their sentences. Records of those eligible for pardon and parole can now be reviewed faster. PDLs eligible for a reduction of sentence on good behavior can also have their records updated.

European Ambassador Massimo Santoro turns over ICT equipment to each of the seven correctional facilities ni the country. EU-GOJUST supports the sustained digitization of carpetas.

“This achievement makes a critical step in modernizing the Bureau of Corrections’ processes and addressing the inefficiencies that have long hindered the swift administration of justice,” said Philippine Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla. “This is more than just a technological milestone. It is a step towards building a justice system that is accessible, responsive to the needs of every Filipino.”

The digitisation of carpetas is also seen to improve the quality of life within the BuCor’s facilities by directly addressing the problem of jail decongestion. As of May 2024, BuCor facilities have been running at a congestion rate of 239%, with all seven facilities over capacity. The Iwahig Prison & Penal Farm, for instance, has a capacity of 645 but now has to house 4,430 PDLs. The Davao Prison & Penal Farm has a capacity of 1,350 but houses 8,707 PDLs.

“Our core aim is to contribute to jail decongestion and therefore to safeguard the rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty,” said European Union’s Ambassador to the Philippines Massimo Santoro. “I am very proud that the EU supported the digitization of carpetas.”