Justice department-run Manila jails operated at 390 percent of designed capacity, compared to 323 percent last year, following a crackdown on illegal drugs, the US State Department's 2005 Human Rights Report, released here Thursday, said.

"The slow judicial process exacerbated the problem of overcrowding. Some inmates took turns sleeping, and others slept on their feet," it said.

"Provincial jails and prisons were overcrowded, lacked basic infrastructure, and provided prisoners with an inadequate diet."

While the justice department's Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) had its budget increased 16 percent to $ 40.85 million last year, the prisoner's daily subsistence allowance was just 73 US cents, it said.

"Prison inmates often depended on their families for food because of the insufficient subsistence allowance and the need to bribe guards to receive food rations."

The food rations were so meager that "some prison wardens reportedly allowed wives or children to move in with inmates or stay in the prison compound because they could help feed the prisoners," while "lack of potable water and poor ventilation continued to cause health problems".

BJMP jails held 62,462 inmates as of October last year, while Bureau of Corrections prisons held another 29,000 inmates, it said.

The report also cited allegations of widespread corruption among guards who demanded "prisoners pay to receive food, to use sanitary facilities, and to avoid beatings by other prisoners".

Human rights monitors which had free access to jails reported "beatings by prison guards and other inmates were common but that prisoners, fearing retaliation, refused to lodge complaints".

It added: "Women in police custody were particularly vulnerable to sexual and physical assault by police and prison officials. Victims often were afraid to report incidents."

It also accused higher prison officials of corruption. "Favored inmates reportedly enjoyed access to prostitutes and drugs," it said.

"Only 232 out of 1,132 jails managed by the BJMP and (police) had separate cells for minors, while 435 jails had separate cells for females."

The report repeated the conclusions of previous years that while the authorities "generally maintained effective control of the security forces," there was evidence that "some elements of the security forces committed human rights abuses".