Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU
CITY, 13 July (PIA) – The
Parole and Probation Administration (PPA-7) under the Department of Justice
(DOJ) is strengthening their rehabilitation programs for criminal offenders.
DOJ PPA-7 Assistant Regional Director Rosana
Solite said during the Association of Government Information Officers –
Philippine Information Agency (AGIO-PIA) said they are fortifying their
programs on therapeutic community, restorative justice, and volunteerism.
There are currently 4,000 clients who seek PPA’s
assistance here for probationary action.
“PPA is the least known agency in our country
because we are dealing with criminal offenders. Our agency is more on the
restorative justice not in the retributive justice,” said Solite.
Therapeutic Community is a treatment environment
where members interact with each other within the context of the norms that
require for each to play the dual role of client-therapist.
On the other hand, restorative justice restores
relations after the crime has been committed between the offender and the
victims through dialogue, encounters, and conferences.
Volunteerism is a program aimed at generating
maximum, effective and efficient citizen participation and community
involvement in the process of client rehabilitation, prevention of crime and
the overall administration of criminal justice.
Solite said volunteerism is to mobilize the
community thru the volunteer assistance to help in the reformation and rehabilitation
of the offenders.
Believing that criminal offenders should be
given a second chance, PPA is mandated to help rehabilitate offenders.
“We believe that a person has a dignity, has a
divine destiny and the offenders should be treated positively,” she explained.
Mostly of the PPA officials are undertaking
missionary work in order to uplift the lives of criminal offenders and become
more productive members of the society. (rmn/hfg/PIA-7/AGIO-7 Forum)