Significance of the Study

The researchers aim to assess the actions and response taken by the Cavite
Provincial Jail towards Persons Deprived of Liberty during the Covid-19 Pandemic which
started in March 2020.

The study will benefit primarily the following:

 Officials of the Cavite Provincial Jail and the local government officials in the
Province of Cavite – the results of the study will be shared and benefit the
respective officials to identify the deficiencies/inadequacies of the system
implemented inside the facility in accordance with the basic protocols set forth by
the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) in order for
them to come up with an action plan that would serve as a stop-gap relative to
the management of coronavirus disease situation coupled with the congestion at
the Cavite Provincial Jail.

 Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL’s) – the study will help the PDL’s to present
their current condition during the pandemic and how it would be rectified or
resolved particularly on their rights and how the Cavite Provincial Jail gave
importance to it during the pandemic.

 Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) – the study will
show whether the implementation of the basic protocols created to contest the
Covid-19 Virus is effective and helpful for the well-being of the PDL’s inside the
Cavite Provincial Jail.

 Common Filipino Citizens - this study would also be an eye-opener to the public
so that additional funding or donations could be coursed through and assist the
provincial jail.
  Researchers and future researchers – the study will allow them to be
instrumental in bringing attention to the concerned authorities what ails the
current jail management system in the province, especially in the time of the
pandemic.

It is hoped that this study would bring awareness to the plight of PDLs as they face
the challenges of an uncertain and “new normal” prison life.

Time and Place of the Study

This study will be conducted in the month of 2021 at Cavite Provincial Jail
located in Trece Martires City.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

The study will focus on the Covid-19 response of the Cavite provincial Jail to
persons deprived of liberty (PDL). The actions undertaken covers from March 2020,
when the pandemic was acknowledged by the Philippine government up to
__________.

The researchers decided to focus their study on the PDL inside a Provincial Jail
since detainees therein are incarcerated for a longer period than municipal and jail,
Moreover, as stated on the World Prison Brief database, the Philippines was ranked
highest in the world in jail occupancy rate in their latest report. As of 19 March 2020,
according to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), the congestion rate
in their 467 jails is at 534 per cent. And according to Section 5, Rule III, Manual of
Operations of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, a provincial prisoner is one
who is sentenced to a prison term of six months and one day to three years and who is
undergoing investigation, those awaiting or undergoing trial; and those awaiting the
final judgment. It places the Provincial Jails as one of the most predisposed to the
possible spread of such outbreaks: prisons, where densely packed people plus (often)
limited access to health care makes for a risky situation.
The study will look into the statistics and data of the PDL’s in terms of number of
new PDLs per year, the total number of PDLs and the ideal ratio of PDLs per facility and
the congestion rate inside the prison facility (2018-2021). The target
participants/respondents are the admin officials, jail officers and nurses as they are the
one who manages the situation inside the facility. However, it will not involve the PDL’s
themselves for safety considerations to the researchers. Likewise, it will not discuss or
touch on other aspects that goes on inside the prison like violence, misconduct, sexual
abuse, etc.

It will also discuss the plans, if any, of the provincial jail administration in
responding to the “new” normal in terms of jail congestion and health management of
PDLs and its personnel since the end of the pandemic is uncertain.