THE SAVINGS OF PROBATION

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

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

• The average per capita income of a Filipino in 2003 according to the National
Statistics and Coordination Board (NSCB) was Php 30,703.00. It means that
when 10,000 probationers are making a living they will produce Php
307,030,000.00 in goods and service annually. A part of this goes to the
government in forms of taxes. Indeed, detention makes tax eaters while
probation makes TAX PAYERS.

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

• The probation system saves the government a total of Php 4.678 Billion in
terms 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/or
their heirs

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