Prison in the Philippines is a little different than those in the States. One specific prison, the CPDRC, takes rehabilitation to a whole new level. While the usual guards, laser beams, finger-print identity scanners, and security cameras are part of the system, the CPDRC has also incorporated something totally new and revolutionary. Dance.

At the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, inmates not only learn livelihood skills and are kept in cells, they’re also kept in line with discipline. Discipline, however that comes in the form of dance. What’s amazing about this concept, is that it seems to work. Hundreds of inmates line up and perform to songs such as Radio Gaga, I Will Follow Him (ala Sister Act), Jump by the Pointer Sisters, and Thriller by Michael Jackson. They fall in line. They dance in unison. They exercise, they learn to work together. So why not simply force inmates to run laps, do sit-ups, or run through military style obstacle courses? Well, I imagine there’s something magical about dance. For one, it makes you feel good. Two, it’s good exercise. Third, it keeps the inmates busy allowing them to focus on other things besides gang affiliations, drug trafficking, and corruption. It also allows them to be a part of something that focuses on the good instead of the bad. Simple, huh?

Along with the amazing 200 men dance routines that they do, they learn new skills and do their time. When they’re released, a formal ceremony is given in their home village/town that officially reintroduces them as rehabilitated and constructive citizens. They stand before their own people and apologize. They’re given a certificate of rehabilitation signed by the governor.

So what makes this better than American standards of imprisonment? Well, the concept of rehabilitation for starters. American jails are so over-crowded and teeming with corruption that inmates don’t find it difficult to operate on the inside as they did on the outside. Gangs, drugs, gambling, murder, etc. It’s all there. Some, but not all prisons, incorporate real rehabilitation tactics, but for the most part, inmates are left to their own devices. Left to rot in cells, given an hour of outside time per week; they sit on their asses and do their time. When they’re released, a good deal of inmates return in a short period of time. Having learned nothing, they leave to make the same mistakes again. It’s a horrible vicious cycle.

If prison in the Philippines is so much fun, why then wouldn’t everyone want to go? Yeah, they dance, and it looks like a lot of fun, but you have to remember, they’re still imprisoned. They have their cells, they have their routine, they have visiting hours, no money, no gangs, and lots of rules. So no, it’s probably not all that much fun. The point is, that dance is a much better alternative to military marches and it makes better people. Dance is good for the soul. Why not give inmates a second chance? Isn’t that why American prisoners are released to begin with? Go back out into the real world, make a better life. The definition of “rehabilitate” is thus: restore (someone) to health or normal life by training and therapy after imprisonment, addiction, or illness : helping to rehabilitate former criminals. Does this sound like what we do in America? Not really.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to live on the fringe, but when people steal, murder, abuse children, and break the law, there should be some form of retribution. They should make amends. Thus, the prison system. Do the crime, do the time. So why not take this opportunity to re-mold people into working parts of society? People who contribute, are better educated, and repentant? Why not teach people to learn from their mistakes and give them the skills necessarily to avoid repeating them? If dance is what it takes, then why not?

I could go into a long diatribe about why the American prison system is faulty, but I’m sure you already know. It doesn’t work. It hasn’t ever worked. So why then wouldn’t we change the way we do things? The answer: Money and greed. The usual suspects. Prison is a high yielding cash cow. Uniforms, food, security systems, etc. Lots of big business goes into fueling capturing and keeping the hundreds of thousands of inmates across the country. What would happen if the prison system actually worked and we had less inmates to care for? Maybe half the amount we have now? How many companies would lose money? If you really think about, it’s pretty sick. But then again, what country do you think this is? What would happen if we actually educated prisoners, taught them new skills, addressed the problems that got them incarcerated to begin with, and actually released citizens that could work, take care of their families, be parts of their community, and take care of themselves? It’s not about re-building good little citizens that follow the rules like robots. It’s about turning their lives around. For them, for their community, for their families, for themselves, for the world! Imagine…what would happen if all prisons operated the way the CPDRC does. Would the world be a better place? Maybe. Maybe just a little.

A selection of videos are available online via YouTube – compiled by a CPDRC security consultant by the name of Byron Garcia.