CHAPTER I

Background of the Study

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is connected to

the SARS-CoV-2 lineage, an infectious illness that spread

quickly and reached 214 countries worldwide. This illness

has impacted 36,401,583 individuals, with 1,060,567 deaths

as of October 8, 2020. The Philippines is a developing

Southeast Asian country that is dealing with a dual strain

of infectious and noninfectious diseases. The world’s prison

population is estimated at around 11 million. In the

Philippines, roughly 131,193 individuals are detained. As of

October 13, 2020, the total number of cases, recoveries, and

fatalities were 344,713, 293,383, and 6,372 respectively.

Prisons and detention facilities may function as a source of

growth infection and multiple dissemination of infectious

illnesses such as COVID-19 both within and outside of jails,

prisons, and other detention centers. Because of the crowded

conditions in which they live together for extended periods,

people deprived of their liberty, such as those in

facilities, are more prone to the coronavirus illness

(International Journal of General Medicine, 2021).

 Most prisons and detention centers were established to

maximize public safety, not to prevent the spread of

infectious diseases or to provide competent healthcare

services. Overcrowding, interruptions in medical evaluation

and treatment, and limited access to soap, water, and clean

laundry all increase the likelihood of transmission of

potentially infectious diseases. Furthermore, many jails and

detention centers lack adequate information technology.

Clinical information-sharing between institutions and the

many authorities accountable for inmate treatment is

frequently poor. The high frequency of mental illness among

convicts and detainees frequently affects the correct

handling of infectious diseases such as the COVID-19

outbreak. Many countries' chronic neglect of jails and other

sites of confinement has resulted in insufficient funding,

administration, supervision, and accountability mechanisms,

including ill-equipped employees and minimal ties to public

health systems. Prison overcrowding is one of the most

significant barriers to providing safe and healthy custodial

conditions in accordance with fundamental human rights. In

many prisons, confined housing, unhygienic conditions,

ventilation, and nutrition, as well as poor healthcare

facilities, will all provide challenges to infection control

methods.
 This will significantly increase the likelihood of

infection and the rising spread of COVID-19. The majority of

prisoners and detainees will eventually return to their

families. Therefore, the situation of a rapid increase in

the transmission of COVID-19 within prisons and detention

centers will have an amplifying effect on the total

population. The high turnover of prisoners being admitted

and released as well as the daily interaction of prisoners

with prison officers, healthcare professionals, visitors,

and service providers all provide an intrinsic link between

prisons and public health. On these grounds, any control

strategy for COVID-19 in the community that does not embrace

the prison institution and detention center context will not

be sustainable (International Journal of General Medicine,

2021).

Literature Reviews

Many works and research were made regarding Preparedness and

Readiness Against COVID - 19 Pandemic in Aurora Provincial

Jail such as that of:

Foreign Literature

The COVID-19 outbreak was first detected in Wuhan, China, in

December 2019, and has been evolving rapidly. On 30 January

2020, the WHO Director-General declared that the current

outbreak constituted a public health emergency of

international concern (PHEIC), and on 11 March 2020. Prisons

and places of detention are enclosed environments where

people including staff live in close proximity.

The World Health Organization (2020) reported a total of

15,581,009 confirmed positive cases worldwide as of July 26.

There is no formalized medication for the infection, but

authorities have long recognized the significance of

physical separation as one method of preventing viral

transmission. In addition to differences in demographic

characteristics, people deprived of their liberty typically

have a greater underlying burden of disease and worse health

conditions than the general population. They frequently face

greater exposure to risks such as smoking, poor hygiene, and

weak immune defense due to stress, poor nutrition, or the

prevalence of coexisting diseases, such as bloodborne

viruses, tuberculosis, and drug use disorders. As a result,

physical distancing is very difficult to establish in these

structurally challenged places. When a person becomes

infected with that virus, the entire prison facility becomes

a vulnerable breeding ground for concentrated infections. As

a background for the term based on the Mandela rule,

prisoners shall be called PDLs who, under the guideline of

the United Nations, are entitled to minimum humanitarian

treatment (Echeminada, 2017).PDLs are a vulnerable

community, particularly in nations with a crowded prison

system, like the Philippines.

Madagascar is also one of them it is a prison system that

holds more than twice its intended capacity. On the ground,

most cells are between two and ten times the number of

people they had been built to accommodate. More than 50% of

the prison population is in pre-trial detention, meaning

that they have not been convicted or finally sentenced. The

overwhelming majority are from poor backgrounds. Unable to

pay for a lawyer or bribes, they are forced to wait behind

bars, in inhumane conditions of detention. Pre-trial and

sentenced detainees are crammed in together – in violation

of international and national law – in dark cells, without

sufficient ventilation. Most detainees sleep on the floor

without any blankets or mattresses. The majority of

detainees interviewed by Amnesty International complained

about the lack of hygiene and malnutrition caused by

insufficient and poor-quality food, and they had fallen ill

since their incarceration with very little access to

healthcare (Tamara Léger, 2021).

In August 2020, 88 detainees in the Farafangana prison in

Madagascar attempted a prison escape. They had previously

expressed great fear of being infected with COVID-19 given

the severe overcrowding and lack of access to healthcare.

They were severely impacted by the lack of access to family

or lawyer visits.

The Minister of Justice allegedly ordered the government

security forces to “take all necessary measures” to deal

with the situation. The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted

years of underinvestment and neglect of health services in

prisons (Tamara Léger, 2021).

Prisoners' rights to health are often violated, not only in

Madagascar, but across the world.

Local Literature

The new term PDLs in the Philippines appeared in the

Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations, according to

Section 23 of Republic Act No. 10575, otherwise known as the

“The Bureau of Corrections Act of 2013.” It legally defines

PDLs as “detainee, inmate, or prisoner, or another person

under confinement or custody in any other manner.

Under Article 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and

Political Rights that provides for the respect for the

essential dignity of the human person, the term PDLs is

adopted with the purpose that such neutral term will prevent

branding by the use of derogatory words like “prisoner” and

others.

“The Philippine government should urgently reduce

overcrowding in detention facilities, by releasing minor

offenders and prioritizing the release of older prisoners

and those with underlying health conditions at particular

risk from COVID-19,” said (Phil Robertson 2020), deputy Asia

director at Human Rights Watch. “Failure to act now could

result in a serious outbreak in the country’s jails and

prisons, threatening the lives of prisoners whose health the

authorities have a duty to protect.”

In addition to the government, the Supreme Court can order a

prisoner released on health and humanitarian grounds if a

petition is filed with the court, said (Raymund Narag

2020) , a criminal justice expert.

The Supreme Court could also issue a circular that would

allow judges on humanitarian grounds to reduce bail or

release a detainee on their own recognizance.

The Philippine penal system is considered as one of the most

concentrated systems in the world (McCarthy, 2020). Based on

the relevant data gathered from the World Prison Brief

(2020), an increasing trend in the prison population of the

country can be observed. In 2012, the total prison

population was 106,323 with a prison population rate of 111.

In 2016, the total prison population increased to 142,168

with a prison population rate of 140. In 2019, the total

prison population ultimately reached 215,000 with a prison

population rate of 200.

The present national prison population cannot be accurately

determined at the moment but based on available data, the

Bureau of Corrections reported the congestion rate in its

facilities at 310% in January while the Bureau of Jail

Management at 534% in March (Cabrera & Nonato, 2020).

This overcrowding has since been exacerbated by the drug war

program that has seen thousands sent to prison.

Because of the upward trend in the national prison

population, which is aggravated by the deplorable structural

condition of the corrections facilities, there has been a

public expression of heightened fears that the spaces

occupied by the PDLs may soon emerge as the epicenter of the

COVID-19 infection (Santos, 2020).

Looking at the COVID-19 epidemiological status of the

country, the surge of COVID-19 cases began when quarantine

measures eased up. As of reports on July 15, the total

national COVID-19 infection was recorded at 70,764 confirmed

positive cases, including 45, 646 active cases, 23,281

recoveries, and 1,837 deaths. When accounting for the number

of COVID infection in the corrections facilities supervised

by the Bureau of Jail Management in about the same period,

there are 1,086 confirmed positive cases which include 180

active cases, 895 recoveries, and 11 deaths (Sajid, 2020).

It should be noted that it does not include the cases in the

corrections facilities under the Bureau of Corrections.

There is further a concern that the real number of cases

could be higher as some authorities were unable to establish

the cause of the recent mortality of some PDLs who died

inside the facilities (Siu, 2020).

As of this September 10, the COVID-19 figures of the country

recorded 241,987 confirmed positive cases with 52,893 active

cases, 185,178 recoveries, and 3,916 deaths (Umali, 2020).

It can be observed, however, that there have been no reports

of a significant increase in corrections facilities

nationwide. Amid the COVID-19 crisis overwhelming many parts

of the world, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

(2020) has issued a position paper for the safety of the

confined population of PDLs as well as workers and officers

who are involved in ensuring their custody. It underscored

the rights of PDLs to equal care standards and suggested the

adoption of alternative measures without prejudice to their

legal status. Recalling its past stance, it urged countries

to respond to overcrowded corrections facilities and ease

imprisonment measures so that states can assume the

responsibility of care when removing people of their right

to liberty.

At the national level in the Philippines, there have also

been urgent calls to safeguard the PDLs.

Many human rights individuals and groups such as Amnesty

International (2020), Human Rights Watch (2020), and

Commission on Human Rights (2020) have demanded the

authorities to take immediate measures such as decreasing

the population in corrections facilities and improving the

access to medical services.

A discussion of the various responses for PDLs confined in

the corrections facilities amid the COVID-19 crisis has been

globally provided emerging attention in research (e.g.,

Cingolani et al., 2020; Franco-Paredes). Particular

attention to the national responses for PDLs amid the COVID-

19 crisis is significant for some reasons, especially in

countries with challenging structural contexts like the

Philippines. For one, it will primarily assess the possible

impacts of the responses with consideration of the complex

situation of the overcrowded jail system in the country and

the current COVID-19 crisis. If such a research goal is

achieved, it will draw recommendations for the improvement

of future responses.

Theoretical Framework

Risk Assessment and

Management

Independent
Variables
 Referral System and
Clinical Management

Independent
Variables Preparedness and
Readiness Against
COVID - 19 Pandemic
in Aurora Provincial
Jail

Dependent Variables

Risk Communication

Independent
Variables

Prevention Measures

Independent
Variables

Significance of the Study

 The purpose of the study is to share information and

experiences regarding Preparedness and Readiness Against

COVID - 19 Pandemic in Aurora Provincial Jail for PDLs

during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The beneficiary of this research are the followings:

To the Community:

This study is essential for the community to

disseminate information, self-awareness, and knowledge about

the laws and regulations within the jail. Visitors are

notified in advance and aware of the procedures to be

followed.

To Aurora Provincial Jail:

To prevent the spread of the disease, control

strategies include proper admission inspection and mass

screenings within detention centers, as well as the

development of isolation units for sick patients in giving

service toward their respective institution.

To the students:
 This study will give significant facts and knowledge

that will guide and educate students, help to show their

interest by demonstrating the importance of laws and

regulations, as well as their awareness within the jail.

To the researchers: 

It gives them a broad sense of the topic and give them

more opportunities to figure out more things from this

study.

To the future researcher:

This study can use for their future research and use as

a reference.

To the Readers:

This study will serve as the useful material and

additional reference for further use in conducting similar

study.

To the school: 

This study is essential for the school to participate

in widespread information and awareness raising on what

means of preparedness and readiness against covid 19 inside

the provincial jail.

Relatives of inmates:

This study is important because one of the members of

the family at least 24 years old can only visit their

relatives inside the provincial jail to prevent the spread

of covid 19 and to maintain everyone’s safety.

Government:

This study can help to give information and use it as a

basis to improve the facilities and support the continued

safe operation of prisons and other detention settings

inside the provincial jail.

Jail Staff:

Protect the health and well-being of people detained in

jails or prisons and other closed settings.

PDLS:

This study makes sense to give importance and attention

to exercising the rights of every PDLS regarding their

situation and experiences inside the jail.

Statement of the Problem

The study wants to evaluate the Preparedness and

Readiness Against COVID - 19 Pandemic in Aurora Provincial

Jail in terms of:

A. Risk Assessment and Management

B. Referral System and Clinical Management

C. Risk Communication

D. Prevention Measures
 CHAPTER II

Design and Methodology

This chapter introduces the procedures used in the

completion of the research. It also includes the

methodology, research design, population and locale of the

study, data gathering tool, data gathering procedure, and

measures to be used to interpret and analyze the data.

Research Design

The quantitative survey method of research generates

data that is the best attribute of the target population

which were the Jail Staff of Aurora Provincial Jail and that

could be used for data analysis.

Since the study is quantitative research, thus the

study used a quantitative descriptive research design and

explanation research to determine whether the correctional

facilities and staff were prepared and ready against COVID-

19 pandemic in Aurora Provincial Jail.

Population and Locale of the Study

This study was conducted in Aurora Provincial Jail it

is located at Sitio Curva, Brgy. Suklayin Baler, Aurora. The

Jail staff are randomly selected as respondents of this

study.

Data Gathering Tools

A structured questionnaire was prepared as the

principal data-gathering tool. The researcher would like to

conduct a survey of and of Aurora Provincial Jail. The

result will be the basis to be included in the samples of

reliability and validity.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researcher will ask permission from the Warden of

Aurora Provincial Jail, the respondents and selected

respondents by giving them a letter of permission signed by

the research teacher, coordinator, and the principal of the

researchers. Such letters will be carried out by researchers

and discussed with the respondents.

 After the proper permission was observed from the

protocols and jail guards concerned, the researchers will

distribute the questionnaires and the respondents will

answer the questionnaires during their break time or free

time.

The accomplished questionnaires were retrieved by the

researchers immediately after their administration for more

reliability and validity of the results.

Treatment of Data

To answer all statements of the problem of this study,

all accomplished questionnaires were compiled and subjected

to statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics such as

frequencies transformed to percentage and average are used

for the employed interpretation of the data gathered.

In finding and interpreting the results, we compute the

percentage with the formula:

P = F / n x 100

Where:

P – Percentage n – Number of respondents

F – Frequency
Ethical Consideration

Ethical approval letter was granted from the Jail

Warden, letter of cooperation was obtained from the Aurora

Provincial Jail. Before conducting the interviews,

information was given to the participants, and were assured

of voluntary participation, confidentiality, anonymity and

freedom to withdraw from the study at any time. In addition,

the objective of the study was explained with the nature of

the study and associated risk and benefit. Moreover, the

verbal informed consent was approved by the Wesleyan

University Philippines-Aurora Campus, and this study was

conducted in accordance with the Declaration of the Dean.