ABSCOND 

– This means to depart from a geographical area or jurisdiction prescribed by the

conditions of one’s probation or parole, without authorization.
ABSOLUTE PARDON – Total extinction of criminal liability of an individual to whom it is
granted and restores back to him all civil rights which are either loss or suspended by virtue of
his conviction.
AMNESTY – A general pardon extended to a class of person or who may be guilty of political
offenses.
BENIGN NEGLECT – The slighting of female offenders’ special problems and needs,
particularly in the provision of programs and services.
BONDSMAN – An independent business person who provides bail money for a free, usually 5
to 10 percent of the total.
BOOKING – A police administrative action officially recording an arrest and identifying the
person, place, time, the arresting authority, and the reason for the arrest.
CARPETA – otherwise known as inmate record or jacket, it contains the personal and criminal
record of the inmate
COMMUTATION – An act of the president changing/reducing a heavier sentence to a lighter
one or a longer-term into a shorter term. It may alter Death Sentence to a Life Sentence or a Life
Sentence to a term of years.
COMMITMENT – the entrusting for the confinement of an inmate to jail by a competent court
or authority, for purposes of investigating the individual’s offense or transgression of laws.
COMMITMENT ORDER – A written order of the court or any other competent authority
consigning an offender to a jail or prison for confinement.
 INDETERMINATE SENTENCE – A period of incarceration set by a judge as a minimum
term that must be served before a decision on parole eligibility is made and a maximum form at
the conclusion of which the sentence has been completed.
 INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY – The officially stated number of inmates or residents that a
correctional facility is designed to house, exclusive of extra-ordinary arrangements to
accommodate overcrowded conditions.
INMATE CODE – A set of rules of conduct that reflect the values and norms of the prison
social system and help to define for inmates the characteristics associated with the model
prisoner.
MANDATORY RELEASE – The required release of an inmate from incarceration upon the
expiration of a certain time period as stipulated by a determinate sentencing law or parole
guidelines.
 MITTIMUS – A warrant issued by the court bearing its seal and the signature of the judge,
directing the jail or prison authorities to receive inmates for custody or service of the sentence
imposed therein.
PREVENTIVE DETENTION – The detention of an accused in prison or in jail for the purpose
of protecting the community from crimes, the accused is considered likely to commit if he or she
is set free pending from trial.
 PRISONIZATION – The process by which a new inmate absorbs the customs of the prison
society and learns to adapt to the environment.
 SAFEKEEPING – The temporary custody of a person for his own protection, safety and care;
and or his security from harm, injury, or danger for the liability he has committed.
 SENTENCE – The penalty imposed by a court on a convicted person, or the court’s decision to
suspend imposition or execution of the penalty.
SPECIAL TIME ALLOWANCE - A deduction of one-fifth of the period of the sentence of
any prisoners who reward the service of sentence
 UTILITARIANISM – The doctrine that the aim of all action should be the greatest possible
balance of pleasure over pain, hence, the belief that a punishment inflicted on an offender must
achieve enough good to outweigh the pain inflicted.
 WORK RELEASE – The release of a sentenced inmate from a correctional institution for work
during the day, the inmate must spend nights and weekends in the facility.