THE SAVINGS OF PROBATION

• Probation is one tenth the cost of detention. As illustrated, the per capita costof maintaining one offender in the Philippines is estimated at Php 11,000.00annually, while it costs only Php 300.00 to maintain one offender onprobation.

• This means savings of Php 30,000.00 when 10,000 of 40,000 offenders are onprobation annually. It is expected that at least one third of the prisons and jailpopulation in the country would benefit from probation.

• The average per capita income of a Filipino in 2003 according to the NationalStatistics and Coordination Board (NSCB) was Php 30,703.00. It means thatwhen 10,000 probationers are making a living they will produce Php307,030,000.00 in goods and service annually. A part of this goes to thegovernment in forms of taxes. Indeed, detention makes tax eaters whileprobation makes TAX PAYERS.

• The cost of constructing and preparing prisons and jails is enormous whichwould run to at least Php10,000,000 annually in order to accommodate 40,000offenders.

• The probation system saves the government a total of Php 4.678 Billion interms of prisoners maintenance in jails and prisons all over the country.

• Philippine Probation System adheres to the concept of Restorative Justice.Thus, a total of Php 137.923 Million has been paid to clients’ victims and/ortheir heirs

• The biggest savings of probation aside from money are, however, in the formsof human resources, dignity, time and opportunity for development, which aremost needed by our society.