THREAD: Inmates in the Philippines, which has the most overcrowded prison system in the world, are at great risk. To stem #COVID19, govt should release those detained or convicted for low-level & non-violent offenses, as well as older and sick prisoners.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/06/philippines-reduce-crowded-jails-stop-covid-19">https://www.hrw.org/news/2020...

In this 2014 oped, I recount the suffering and desperation experienced by inmates in the Philippines& #39; overcrowded and overburdened prisons face.

Injustice and misery in PH jails | Human Rights Watch https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/03/08/injustice-and-misery-ph-jails">https://www.hrw.org/news/2016...

Many inmates spend time behind bars longer than the punishment for their offenses prescribes. More than 75% of detainees in the Philippines are in pre-trial or remand detention.

Dispatches: Relieving the Philippines’ Overcrowded Jails | Human Rights Watch https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/01/05/dispatches-relieving-philippines-overcrowded-jails">https://www.hrw.org/news/2015...

Tens of 1000s of mostly poor Filipinos have been arrested and incarcerated as a result of Duterte& #39;s "war on drugs," worsening the problem. Most inmates face drug charges.

Dispatches: Philippines’ ‘War on Drugs’ Worsens Jail Miseries | Human Rights Watch https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/08/02/dispatches-philippines-war-drugs-worsens-jail-miseries">https://www.hrw.org/news/2016...

And then there& #39;s this:

Philippines: Release and Protect “Secret Jail” Detainees | Human Rights Watch https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/04/28/philippines-release-and-protect-secret-jail-detainees">https://www.hrw.org/news/2017...

Raymund Narag, jailed in an overcrowded Manila prison for a crime he did not commit, is now a respected expert on criminal justice reform in the Philippines.

Wrongly jailed for almost 7 years, SIU professor works to reform Filipino prisons https://thesouthern.com/news/local/siu/wrongly-jailed-for-almost-years-siu-professor-works-to-reform/article_b17b5afe-aa7a-5f3e-a22e-813e5afd5ccb.html">https://thesouthern.com/news/loca...