Cebu Dancing Inmates Did It Again

[rejhoyce]

Dancing inmates tackle Queen in Philippines prison
Daile Pepper
November 6, 2009

If you are going to commit a crime for which you could be sentenced to prison, Cebu is the place to do it.

Because the gentleman charged with running the prison in Cebu, the Philippines, has an unusual take on crime and punishment.

He believes in the power of dance to rehabilitate prisoners, and the latest video of his dancing inmates' new production – a choreographed routine to a medley of Queen songs – has hit YouTube.

It seems almost everybody living inside the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Centre has an ability to get his groove on. They perform air guitar moves, ballerina twirls and a well-thought out routine that lasts around seven minutes.

The dancing inmates have become a YouTube phenomenon as they have tackled songs including Michael Jackson's Thriller (chosen for references to a 'living hell' and 'sealing your doom'), as well as tunes by the Black Eyed Peas and Flo Rida.

Byron Garcia, the son of the former governor of Cebu and bother of the latest governor, turned his back on business to try and help rebuild the lives of thousands of prisoners.

"The whole concept of discipline and dancing as methods of rehabilitation has never been in the books," his website reads.

"It deviates and does not conform to the principles of jail management and penology. But a son of a political scion transcended from his political and landlord roots to do 'the very least for his brethren' – turn dregs into human beings."

The latest video hit the web this week, but the Thriller routine performed by 1500 inmates has been viewed more than 70 million times over two years.

A message at the end of the latest video sums up Garcia's reasons for allowing the dance routines.

"If we make life a living hell for these fallen angels then we might just be turning out devils once they are released and re-integrated to society," it reads.


Click here for the source of the story and to watch the video

[solidus37]

Two years now and they are still gettin to groove. Byron Garcia is right, this inmates should be rehabilitated before being integrated in the society

[onlinebiz]

I agree. That is a very good program they have there. Its true no matter what their offense are they are still human and later on when they will be back to the society so they need to be ready for that. If they can be a better person inside then its better for the community when he comes out. I hope all prisons in the Philippines will do some kind of rehabilitation like that to all inmates instead of treating them like they don't matter anymore to the word since they are prisoners. Although not all will be changed anyway because there are still some who are really into doing evil but then again others might. And its good to at least try to help our fellow countrymen instead of putting more evil into their minds by treating them bad inside.

[cashseeker]

The organizers of this are really good. I like their videos.

[rejhoyce]

I agree... they did really a good job with this. I just hope when this people comes out of prison that they will be real good citizens already and not anymore problems of the society.