A jail which has newly opened in the city of Marawi on the Filipino island of Mindanao “symbolizes change” in the Philippines penal system, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The Marawi City Jail, which was built by the Bureau of Jail management and Penology (BJMP) and inaugurated in May 2024, has been established according to the Nelson Mandela Rules. The Rules define what are generally accepted as being good principles and practice in the treatment of prisoners and prison management in detention facilities across the world. The Philippines currently has some of the most overcrowded jails in the world. Daniel Dickinson spoke to Renato Reynaldo Roales, a National Programme Officer at UNODC based in Mindanao, and began by asking him to describe the facility.