INSTITUTIONAL CORRECTIONS – is that branch of the administration of criminal

justice system charged with the responsibility for the custody, supervision, and rehabilitation
of the convicted offender.

 PENOLOGY - from the Greek words “Poine” which means Punishment and “Logus”course
or study of crime prevention, prison, reformatory management and correction of criminals. Is
the branch of criminology which deals with the management and administration of inmates.

PUNISHMENT is defined as the redress that the state takes against an offending member. It
is inflicted by   the group incorporate capacity in one who is regarded as a member of the
same group. It involves pain or suffering produced by design and justified by some value that
the suffering is assumed to have. It is a means of social control, a device to cause people to
become cohesive and induce conformity thus it is necessary to restore moral equilibrium and
for grounds of social utility.

Origin and History of Punishment The oldest written penal law stopped the ancient
practice of retribution of personal vengeance, and punishment become the
responsibility of the state. This law is known as the “Code of Hammurabi”,
which King Hammurabi of Babylon promulgated. This Code of Laws was compilation
of the laws of the Semitic tribes, and is written on stone. It instituted the law of the talons,
meaning that the State will meet out punishment equally, “as an eye for an eye” or “a tooth
for a tooth”.

Punishment in Primitive Society

The   most   common   punishment   are   death, physical torture, mutilation, branding, 
public   humiliation,   fines, forfeiture of property, banishment, and later on transportation and
imprisonment; but each of these punishment  has had forms. Thus, death has been
accomplished by flaying, crucifixion, beheading, impaling, drowning and  burning; physical
torture are executed by flogging, dismemberment, and starvation; public humiliation, stocks,  
pillory, docking, stools, branding, and brinks; and later imprisonment by confinement in
dungeons, galleys,  “hulks”, jails, house of corrections, workhouses, and penitentiaries.

The Philippine Government has organized and established institutions which serve to
maintain peace and order. These institutions are responsible for preventing crimes,
enforcement of laws, and apprehension and prosecution of those who violate the law. If the
courts of law find them guilty of committing a crime, they shall be confined in order for those
people to be rehabilitated and to be reintegrated into the community as law abiding citizens.
These institutions organized by the Government have incorporated themselves in order to
establish a Criminal Justice System. 

This system is composed of: the Law Enforcement, Prosecution, Court, Corrections and the
Mobilized Community. Law Enforcement effects the arrest of those people who violated the
law. The Prosecution considers the background to determine whether the person arrested for
violating a law should be prosecuted. The Court is the cornerstone of the system wherein it
determines whether the person charged with a criminal offence is guilty or not.

When the courts of law find an individual guilty of violating the law, a sentence shall be
imposed upon him, not to change the criminals attitude ,but as a penalty. When a person has
been proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt ,he or she must be placed in confinement for the
protection of the criminal and for the community's welfare. Criminals are considered
prisoners while they serve their sentences imposed by the court for transgressing the law.

Prisoners are classified as National or Insular Prisoners, whose sentences are more than three
(3) years to death and who will serve his or her sentence at the National Penitentiary. Based
on the Bureau of Corrections reception procedures, female convicts will serve their sentences
at the Correctional Institution for Women at Madaluyong City, while male convicts will serve
their sentences at any of the country's correctional institutions, namely: San Ramon Prison &
Penal Farm, Zamboanga; Iwahig Prison & Penal Farm, Palawan; Davao Prison and Penal
Farm, Dajuli ,Davao del Norte; New Bilibid Prison, Muntinlupa: Sablayan Prison and Penal
Farm, Sablayan Occidental Mindoro, and Leyte
Regional Prison, Leyte.

Before a convict can enter a penal institution, the convict must first undergo admission and
classification procedures. The operating manual of the Bureau of Corrections mandates the
submission of the following documents:

1)Commitment Order from the Court or Mittimus;

(2)Court Decision of the Case;

(3)Information filed by the City/Provincial Prosecutor;

(4)Certificate of Detention, if any, from the City ,Provincial and/or Municipal Jail where the
prisoner was previously detained.

The prisoner will then be received at the Reception and Diagnostic Center(RDC),and the
poisoners identity will be examined through submitted photographs and fingerprints. The
authenticity of the documents will also be carefully examined. The inmates will also be
photographed and fingerprinted by RDC staff for comparative and records purposes of the
Bureau of Corrections.

After the prisoner is admitted, the prisoner will stay at the RDC for a total of sixty(60)days.
The inmate will be placed first in a quarantine cell for at least five days (5) wherein the
prisoner will be medically examined to determine illness and, if found to have infectious or
contagious diseases, he shall be immediately confined in the hospital until his recovery.
After the quarantine the inmate shall remain at the RDC for a period not exceeding fifty-
five(55)days, wherein the inmate shall undergo orientation of prison rules and regulations, the
condition of prison life, and institutional programmed for their early release. A staff interview
will be conducted by the Psychiatrist, Sociologist Educational Counselor Vocational
Counselor, Chaplain, Medical Officer, and Custodial or Correctional Officer.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Persons Deprived of Liberty, who are now detained at the male
dormitory of the Cebu City Jail, showcased their talent in dancing during the celebration of
the National Correctional Consciousness Week 2022 on Monday, Oct. 24.
Wearing yellow T-shirts and black pants, close to a hundred PDLs grooved to hiphop and
latin songs as they freely expressed their love for dancing and showed their confidence in
performing.
Their dance presentation was one of the highlights during the National Correctional
Consciousness Week celebration, an annual activity organized by the Bureau of Jail
Management and Penology (BJMP) to help inmates realize their full potentials and help them
acquire self-esteem.
Jail Superintendent Mitz Placencia, warden of the male dormitory, expressed confidence that
through dance, they will be able to use the talents of their PDLs for a good cause.
If they practice a little more, they could even come up with their own version of the dancing
inmates, Placencia said.
“[Our] goal is yung kanilang pagkakakulong ay gawing kapakipakinabang. Kahit papaano
may mabuting matutunan sa sarili, sa ugali, at trabaho na rin,” Placencia said.

The city jail’s dancing inmates program is part of their therapeutic program for the PDLs. At
the same time, they wanted to give PDLs who are also members of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender and queer) community to showcase their talents.
LGBTQ members, are not getting as much exposure as the other detainees since they are a
minority group at the city jail, the warden said.
Placencia said he is happy that some of the PDLs volunteered to even join LGBTQ members
in their dance.
The dance presentation that was made at the male dormitory’s quadrangle lasted for at least
30 minutes. It started at 9 a.m.
When the time comes that their performers are already set to do a public presentation,
Placencia said, they look forward to opening their doors to spectators.

Definition of Terms
Penal Management – refers to the manner or practice of managing or controlling the place of
punishment or jail.

Correction – it is the study of jail/prison management and administration as well as

rehabilitation and reformation of prisoners and detainees.

Penology – a branch of criminology that deals with the management and administration of
inmates.

Jail – a place of confinement for inmates under investigation, awaiting or undergoing trial, or
serving sentence.

Rehabilitation – a program of activity directed to restore an inmate’s self-respect thereby

making him a law-abiding citizen after serving his sentence.

Safekeeping – the temporary custody of a person for his own protection, safety, or care; and
or his security from harm, injury, or danger for the liability he has committed.

Inmate – Either a prisoner or detainee confined in jail.

Detainee – a person accused before a court or competent authority who is temporarily

confined in jail while undergoing investigation, awaiting final judgment.

Prisoner – an inmate who is convicted by the final judgment and classified as an insular,
provincial, city, or municipal prisoner.

Commitment – means the entrusting for the confinement of an inmate to a jail by a competent
court or authority for investigation, trial, and/or service of sentence.

Commitment Order – a written order of the court or any other competent authority consigning
an offender to jail or prison for confinement.

Mittimus – a warrant issued by the court bearing its seal and the signature of the judge
directing the jail or prison authorities to receive the convicted offender for service of sentence
or detention.

Detention Mittimus – is an order issued by a competent court addressed to the jailer or prison
officer to receive a person for having committed a criminal offense for safe custody, subject
to the order of the court.

Sentence Mittimus – is an order of a competent court, addressed to the jailer or
prison officer to receive a person after conviction from the offense charged to serve a penalty
of imprisonment or subsidiary imprisonment as the case may be.

Contraband – any article, item, or thing prohibited by law and/or forbidden by the jail rules.

Escape – an act of getting out unlawfully from confinement or custody by an inmate.
- includes not only actually leaving the institution or grounds thereof by a detainee or prisoner
but also being “out of the place” at any time since the latter may be tantamount to attempting
to escape.

Instrument of Restraint – a device, contrivance, tool, or instrument used to hold back, keep in,
check or control an inmate; e.g. handcuffs, leg irons.

Classification – refers to the assigning or grouping of inmates according to their sentence,
gender, age, nationality, health, criminal records, etc.

Custody – – is the maintenance of care and protection accorded to people who by authority of
law are temporarily incarcerated for violation of law and also those who were sentenced by
the court to serve justice.

Security – is the task given to jail or prison administrators and custodial force personnel to
secure the entire establishment and to keep under constant watch the movements of inmates
or wards purposely to avoid the involvement of detainees or prisoners for the possible
commission of crimes and foremost to prevent any mass jailbreaks ad bloody gang wars
among them while under confinement.

Control – is the systematic measures taken in ensuring that the movement of inmates is in
accordance with the standing policies, rules, and regulations granted by the court, authorities,
or administrators at all times.

Degree of Custody – extent or strict keeping or charges necessary for a person in
confinement.

Lock–up – security facilities manned by the PNP, as their temporary jail facilities.

Disorders – it refers to fighting or causing a
disturbance or a riot and also other behaviors such as; connivance, politicking, threatening, or
putting in fear.

Good Conduct Time Allowance – is the reward for good conduct or behavior, whereby a
prisoner receives partial remission or reduction of his sentence.
Adopted by the First United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment
of Offenders, held at Geneva in 1955, and approved by the United Nations Economic and
Social Council by its resolutions 663 C (XXIV) of 31 July 1957 and 2076 (LXII) of 13 May
1977STANDARD MINIMUM RULES FOR THE TREATMENT OF PRISONERS
PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS
1. The following rules are not intended to describe in detail a model system of penal
institutions. They seek only, on the basis of the general consensus of contemporary thought
and the essential elements of the most adequate systems of today, to set out what is generally
accepted as being good principle and practice in the treatment of prisoners and the
management of institutions.

2. In view of the great variety of legal, social, economic and geographical conditions of the
world, it is evident that not all of the rules are capable of application in all places and at all
times. They should, however, serve to stimulate a constant endeavor to overcome practical
difficulties in the way of their application, in the knowledge that they represent, as a whole,
the minimum conditions which are accepted as suitable by the United Nations.

3. On the other hand, the rules cover a field in which thought is constantly developing. They
are not intended to preclude experiment and practices, provided these are in harmony with the
principles and seek to further the purposes which derive from the text of the rules as a whole.
It will always be justifiable for the central prison administration to authorize departures from
the rules in this spirit.

4. (1) Part I of the rules covers the general management of institutions, and is applicable to all
categories of prisoners, criminal or civil, untried or convicted, including prisoners subject to
"security measures" or corrective measures ordered by the judge.
(2) Part II contains rules applicable only to the special categories dealt with in each section.
Nevertheless, the rules under section A, applicable to prisoners under sentence, shall be
equally applicable to categories of prisoners dealt with in sections B, C and D, provided they
do not conflict with the rules governing those categories and are for their benefit.
5. (1) The rules do not seek to regulate the management of institutions set aside for young
persons such as Borstal institutions or correctional schools, but in general part I would be
equally applicable in such institutions.
(2) The category of young prisoners should include at least all young persons who come
within the jurisdiction of juvenile courts. As a rule, such young persons should not be
sentenced to imprisonment.

PART I
RULES OF GENERAL APPLICATION
Basic Principle
6. (1) The following rules shall be applied impartially. There shall be no discrimination on
grounds of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social
origin, property, birth or other status.
(2) On the other hand, it is necessary to respect the religious beliefs and moral precepts of the
group to which a prisoner belongs.
Register
7. (1) In every place where persons are imprisoned there shall be kept a bound registration
book with numbered pages in which shall be entered in respect of each prisoner received:
(a) Information concerning his identity;
(b) The reasons for his commitment and the authority therefor;
(c) The day and hour of his admission and release.
(2) No person shall be received in an institution without a valid commitment order of which
the details shall have been previously entered in the register.
Separation of Categories
8. The different categories of prisoners shall be kept in separate institutions or parts of
institutions taking account of their sex, age, criminal record, the legal reason for their
detention and the necessities of their treatment. Thus,
(a) Men and women shall so far as possible be detained in separate institutions; in an
institution which receives both men and women the whole of the premises allocated to
women shall be entirely separate;
(b) Untried prisoners shall be kept separate from convicted prisoners;
(c) Persons imprisoned for debt and other civil prisoners shall be kept separate from persons
imprisoned by reason of a criminal offence;
(d) Young prisoners shall be kept separate from adults.

Accommodation
9. (1) Where sleeping accommodation is in individual cells or rooms, each prisoner shall
occupy by night a cell or room by himself. If for special reasons, such as temporary
overcrowding, it becomes necessary for the central prison administration to make an
exception to this rule, it is not desirable to have two prisoners in a cell or room.
(2) Where dormitories are used, they shall be occupied by prisoners carefully selected as
being suitable to associate with one another in those conditions. There shall be regular
supervision by night, in keeping with the nature of the institution.
10. All accommodation provided for the use of prisoners and in particular all sleeping
accommodation shall meet all requirements of health, due regard being paid to climatic
conditions and particularly to cubic content of air, minimum floor space, lighting, heating and
ventilation.
11. In all places where prisoners are required to live or work,
(a) The windows shall be large enough to enable the prisoners to read or work by natural
light, and shall be so constructed that they can allow the entrance of fresh air whether or not
there is artificial ventilation;
(b) Artificial light shall be provided sufficient for the prisoners to read or work without injury
to eyesight.
12. The sanitary installations shall be adequate to enable every prisoner to comply with the
needs of nature when necessary and in a clean and decent manner.
13. Adequate bathing and shower installations shall be provided so that every prisoner may be
enabled and required to have a bath or shower, at a temperature suitable to the climate, as
frequently as necessary for general hygiene according to season and geographical region, but
at least once a week in a temperate climate.
14. All parts of an institution regularly used by prisoners shall be properly maintained and
kept scrupulously clean at all times.

Personal Hygiene
15. Prisoners shall be required to keep their persons clean, and to this end they shall be
provided with water and with such toilet articles as are necessary for health and cleanliness.
16. In order that prisoners may maintain a good appearance compatible with their self-respect,
facilities shall be provided for the proper care of the hair and beard, and men shall be enabled
to shave regularly.

Clothing and Bedding

17. (1) Every prisoner who is not allowed to wear his own clothing shall be provided with an
outfit of clothing suitable for the climate and adequate to keep him in good health. Such
clothing shall in no manner be degrading or humiliating.
(2) All clothing shall be clean and kept in proper condition. Underclothing shall be changed
and washed as often as necessary for the maintenance of hygiene.
(3) In exceptional circumstances, whenever a prisoner is removed outside the institution for
an authorized purpose, he shall be allowed to wear his own clothing or other inconspicuous
clothing.
18. If prisoners are allowed to wear their own clothing, arrangements shall be made on their
admission to the institution to ensure that it shall be clean and fit for use.
19. Every prisoner shall, in accordance with local or national standards, be provided with a
separate bed, and with separate and sufficient bedding which shall be clean when issued, kept
in good order and changed often enough to ensure its cleanliness.
Food
20. (1) Every prisoner shall be provided by the administration at the usual hours with food of
nutritional value adequate for health and strength, of wholesome quality and well prepared
and served.
(2) Drinking water shall be available to every prisoner whenever he needs it.

Exercise and Sport

21. (1) Every prisoner who is not employed in outdoor work shall have at least one hour of
suitable exercise in the open air daily if the weather permits.
(2) Young prisoners, and others of suitable age and physique, shall receive physical and
recreational training during the period of exercise. To this end space, installations and
equipment should be provided.

Medical Services
22. (1) At every institution there shall be available the services of at least one qualified
medical officer who should have some knowledge of psychiatry. The medical services should
be organized in close relationship to the general health administration of the community or
nation. They shall include a psychiatric service for the diagnosis and, in proper cases, the
treatment of states of mental abnormality.
(2) Sick prisoners who require specialist treatment shall be transferred to specialized
institutions or to civil hospitals. Where hospital facilities are provided in an institution, their
equipment, furnishings and pharmaceutical supplies shall be proper for the medical care and
treatment of sick prisoners, and there shall be a staff of suitable trained officers.
(3) The services of a qualified dental officer shall be available to every prisoner.
23. (1) In women's institutions there shall be special accommodation for all necessary pre-
natal and post-natal care and treatment. Arrangements shall be made wherever practicable for
children to be born in a hospital outside the institution. If a child is born in prison, this fact
shall not be mentioned in the birth certificate.
(2) Where nursing infants are allowed to remain in the institution with their mothers,
provision shall be made for a nursery staffed by qualified persons, where the infants shall be
placed when they are not in the care of their mothers.
24. The medical officer shall see and examine every prisoner as soon as possible after his
admission and thereafter as necessary, with a view particularly to the discovery of physical or
mental illness and the taking of all necessary measures; the segregation of prisoners suspected
of infectious or contagious conditions; the noting of physical or mental defects which might
hamper rehabilitation, and the determination of the physical capacity of every prisoner for
work.
25. (1) The medical officer shall have the care of the physical and mental health of the
prisoners and should daily see all sick prisoners, all who complain of illness, and any prisoner
to whom his attention is specially directed.
(2) The medical officer shall report to the director whenever he considers that a prisoner's
physical or mental health has been or will be injuriously affected by continued imprisonment
or by any condition of imprisonment.
26. (1) The medical officer shall regularly inspect and advise the director upon:
(a) The quantity, quality, preparation and service of food;
(b) The hygiene and cleanliness of the institution and the prisoners;
(c) The sanitation, heating, lighting and ventilation of the institution;
(d) The suitability and cleanliness of the prisoners' clothing and bedding;
(e) The observance of the rules concerning physical education and sports, in cases where there
is no technical personnel in charge of these activities.
(2) The director shall take into consideration the reports and advice that the medical officer
submits according to rules 25 (2) and 26 and, in case he concurs with the recommendations
made, shall take immediate steps to give effect to those recommendations; if they are not
within his competence or if he does not concur with them, he shall immediately submit his
own report and the advice of the medical officer to higher authority. Discipline and
punishment
27. Discipline and order shall be maintained with firmness, but with no more restriction than
is necessary for safe custody and well-ordered community life.
28. (1) No prisoner shall be employed, in the service of the institution, in any disciplinary
capacity.
(2) This rule shall not, however, impede the proper functioning of systems based on self-
government, under which specified social, educational or sports activities or responsibilities
are entrusted, under supervision, to prisoners who are formed into groups for the purposes of
treatment.
29. The following shall always be determined by the law or by the regulation of the
competent administrative authority:
(a) Conduct constituting a disciplinary offence;
(b) The types and duration of punishment which may be inflicted;
(c) The authority competent to impose such punishment.
30. (1) No prisoner shall be punished except in accordance with the terms of such law or
regulation, and never twice for the same offence.
(2) No prisoner shall be punished unless he has been informed of the offence alleged against
him and given a proper opportunity of presenting his defense. The competent authority shall
conduct a thorough examination of the case.
(3) Where necessary and practicable the prisoner shall be allowed to make his defense
through an interpreter.
31. Corporal punishment, punishment by placing in a dark cell, and all cruel, inhuman or
degrading punishments shall be completely prohibited as punishments for disciplinary
offences.
32. (1) Punishment by close confinement or reduction of diet shall never be inflicted unless
the medical officer has examined the prisoner and certified in writing that he is fit to sustain
it.
(2) The same shall apply to any other punishment that may be prejudicial to the physical or
mental health of a prisoner. In no case may such punishment be contrary to or depart from the
principle stated in rule 31.
(3) The medical officer shall visit daily prisoners undergoing such punishments and shall
advise the director if he considers the termination or alteration of the punishment necessary
on grounds of physical or mental health.

Instruments of Restraint
33. Instruments of restraint, such as handcuffs, chains, irons and strait-jacket, shall never be
applied as a punishment. Furthermore, chains or irons shall not be used as restraints. Other
instruments of restraint shall not be used except in the following circumstances:
(a) As a precaution against escape during a transfer, provided that they shall be removed
when the prisoner appears before a judicial or administrative authority;
(b) On medical grounds by direction of the medical officer;
(c) By order of the director, if other methods of control fail, in order to prevent a prisoner
from injuring himself or others or from damaging property; in such instances the director
shall at once consult the medical officer and report to the higher administrative authority.
34. The patterns and manner of use of instruments of restraint shall be decided by the central
prison administration. Such instruments must not be applied for any longer time than is
strictly necessary.

Information to and Complaints by Prisoners

35. (1) Every prisoner on admission shall be provided with written information about the
regulations governing the treatment of prisoners of his category, the disciplinary requirements
of the institution, the authorized methods of seeking information and making complaints, and
all such other matters as are necessary to enable him to understand both his rights and his
obligations and to adapt himself to the life of the institution.
(2) If a prisoner is illiterate, the aforesaid information shall be conveyed to him orally.
36. (1) Every prisoner shall have the opportunity each week day of making requests or
complaints to the director of the institution or the officer authorized to represent him.
(2) It shall be possible to make requests or complaints to the inspector of prisons during his
inspection. The prisoner shall have the opportunity to talk to the inspector or to any other
inspecting officer without the director or other members of the staff being present.
(3) Every prisoner shall be allowed to make a request or complaint, without censorship as to
substance but in proper form, to the central prison administration, the judicial authority or
other proper authorities through approved channels.
(4) Unless it is evidently frivolous or groundless, every request or complaint shall be
promptly dealt with and replied to without undue delay.

Contact with the Outside World

37. Prisoners shall be allowed under necessary supervision to communicate with their family
and reputable friends at regular intervals, both by correspondence and by receiving visits.
38. (1) Prisoners who are foreign nationals shall be allowed reasonable facilities to
communicate with the diplomatic and consular representatives of the State to which they
belong.
(2) Prisoners who are nationals of States without diplomatic or consular representation in the
country and refugees or stateless persons shall be allowed similar facilities to communicate
with the diplomatic representative of the State which takes charge of their interests or any
national or international authority whose task it is to protect such persons.
39. Prisoners shall be kept informed regularly of the more important items of news by the
reading of newspapers, periodicals or special institutional publications, by hearing wireless
transmissions, by lectures or by any similar means as authorized or controlled by the
administration.
Books
40. Every institution shall have a library for the use of all categories of prisoners, adequately
stocked with both recreational and instructional books, and prisoners shall be encouraged to
make full use of it. Religion
41. (1) If the institution contains a sufficient number of prisoners of the same religion, a
qualified representative of that religion shall be appointed or approved. If the number of
prisoners justifies it and conditions permit, the arrangement should be on a full-time basis.
(2) A qualified representative appointed or approved under paragraph (1) shall be allowed to
hold regular services and to pay pastoral visits in private to prisoners of his religion at proper
times.
(3) Access to a qualified representative of any religion shall not be refused to any prisoner.
On the other hand, if any prisoner should object to a visit of any religious representative, his
attitude shall be fully respected.
42. So far as practicable, every prisoner shall be allowed to satisfy the needs of his religious
life by attending the services provided in the institution and having in his possession the
books of religious observance and instruction of his denomination.
Retention of Prisoners' Property
43. (1) All money, valuables, clothing and other effects belonging to a prisoner which under
the regulations of the institution he is not allowed to retain shall on his admission to the
institution be placed in safe custody. An inventory thereof shall be signed by the prisoner.
Steps shall be taken to keep them in good condition.
(2) On the release of the prisoner all such articles and money shall be returned to him except
in so far as he has been authorized to spend money or send any such property out of the
institution, or it has been found necessary on hygienic grounds to destroy any article of
clothing. The prisoner shall sign a receipt for the articles and money returned to him.
(3) Any money or effects received for a prisoner from outside shall be treated in the same
way.
(4) If a prisoner brings in any drugs or medicine, the medical officer shall decide what use
shall be made of them.
Classification of inmates as to entitlement of privileges:
1. Detainee
2. Second-class inmates - one who has either been previously committed three or more times
as a sentenced inmate
except those imprisoned for non-payment of a fine and who had been reduced from a higher
class.
3. First-class inmates - are those whose known character and credit for work while in
detention earned an assignment to this class upon the start of this sentence; or one who has
been promoted from the second class.
3. Colonist - Those who are first-class inmates and have served for one year immediately
preceding the completion of the period specified in the following classifications has served
imprisonment with good conduct for a period equivalent to 1/5 of the maximum term of his
prison sentence or seven years in the case of reclusion perpetual.

Separate facilities: Separate dormitories to house inmates are categorized as follows:

1. finally sentenced prisoners
2. death convicts
3. incorrigible inmates
4. detainees
5. first-time offenders
6. sexual deviates
7. dug dependents
8.. foreign national
9. members of cultural minorities
10. former members of the AFP and PNP
11. aged and infirm whose physical condition impairs their mobility
12. those suffering from a mental disease or abnormalities.

Rights and Privileges of an Inmate:

1. to receive compensation for the labor he performs
2. to be credited with time allowances for good conduct and loyalty
3. to send and receive mail matters.
4. to practice his religion or observe his faith.
5. to ventilate his grievances through proper channels
6. to receive death benefits and pecuniary aid for injuries.
Understanding good conduct time allowance for prisoners:
A debate on the implementation of a law that increases the good conduct time allowance
(GCTA) of prisoners ensued after the earlier reported pending release of convicted rapist-
murderer former Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez. The Justice Department and Bureau of
Corrections (BuCor) initially identified Sanchez as among the 11,000 inmates who may walk
free from prison in the next two months.
Republic Act 10592 was enacted in 2013, amending RA 3815 or the Revised Penal Code
(RPC). The law increased the GCTA of prisoners to be credited in the service of their
sentence. Last June, the Supreme Court (SC) ruled that the law should apply retroactively.
Some lawmakers, including Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, are calling for a review
of the law.
But what exactly is GCTA? Can all prisoners benefit from it?
Here are four things you should know.

What is good conduct time allowance?

Good conduct time allowance or GCTA is a sentence reduction provision afforded prisoners
who show good behavior.
It has been in existence since 1906. Act 1533 provided for the “diminution of sentences
imposed upon prisoners” in consideration of good conduct and diligence.
Citing a 1908 decision, the SC said the law served a double purpose: to “encourage the
convict in an effort to reform” and “induce…habits of industry and good conduct” in the
person beyond one’s sentence, and “aid to discipline” various jails and penitentiaries.
Twenty-four years later, the RPC, a legal code governing crimes and their punishment, was
signed into law, incorporating good conduct time allowances for “any prisoner in any penal
situation.”

What is RA 10592 and how does it work?

In May 2013, then President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III signed RA 10592, amending
Articles 29, 94, 97, 98, and 99 of the RPC, which sought to:
expand the application of the GCTA to those under preventive imprisonment or those
detained prior and during criminal trial, who are deemed too dangerous for release;
increase the number of days that may be credited for GCTA;
allow an additional sentence deduction of 15 days for each month of study, teaching, or
mentoring service; and
expand the special time allowance for loyalty and make it applicable to those under
preventive imprisonment.
In cases of “special circumstances,” such as calamities, prisoners who, after evading
preventive imprisonment or the service of their sentence, give themselves up to authorities
within 48 hours after the “circumstance” had passed, will get a “loyalty” deduction of one-
fifth of their sentence.

This means, prisoners who have evaded service due to fire, earthquake, explosion, or other
catastrophes must surrender within two days from authorities’ declaration that such events are
no longer present to qualify for the loyalty deduction.
Section 5 of the law says the BuCor director, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology
chief, and/or the warden of a provincial, district, municipal or city jail “shall grant allowances
for good conduct.”

Last June, the SC granted the petition filed by New Bilibid Prison inmates, voiding Sec. 4,
Rule 1 of RA 10592 Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), which states that the grant
of time allowance of prisoners for good conduct, study, teaching, and mentoring service, and
loyalty “shall be prospective in application.”
The High Court ruled that the law should be applied retroactively, meaning those detained or
convicted before RA 10592 was passed should also be covered by, and, therefore, potentially
benefit from, the law.
The ruling is in accordance with Article 22 of the RPC, which states that penal laws “shall
have a retroactive effect insofar as they favor the persons guilty of the felony, who is not a
habitual criminal.”

Who can benefit from the law?

Inmates who display “good behavior and [have] no record of breach of discipline or violation
of prison rules and regulations” may be eligible for GCTA, according to the BuCor operating
manual, as cited in the SC decision.
The IRR of RA 10592 defines good behavior as:
“the conspicuous and satisfactory behavior of a detention or convicted prisoner consisting of
active involvement in rehabilitation programs, productive participation in authorized work
activities or accomplishment of exemplary deeds coupled with faithful obedience to all
prison/jail rules and regulations”

Source: Supreme Court, G.R. No. 212719/G.R. No. 214637, June 25, 2019
Over the past years, Sanchez was found to have violated jail policies, according to reports
from Philstar.com, Rappler, and CNN Philippines.

In 2006, a complaint was filed against Sanchez for allegedly possessing shabu and marijuana.
In 2010, a kilo of shabu worth P1.5 million was discovered in one of the Blessed Virgin Mary
statues inside his cell. Five years later, an air-conditioner, flat-screen television, and
refrigerator were seized from his cell.
Sanchez also tested positive for illegal drug use, according to a BuCor report.

Who are excluded from the law?

Recidivists or those who “have been convicted previously twice or more times of any crime,”
habitual delinquents, escapees and persons charged with heinous crimes are excluded from its
coverage, according to section 1 of RA 10592.
The law, as well as RPC, however, does not define what constitutes a “heinous crime.”

Under RA 7659 or the Death Penalty Act, heinous crimes are:

“grievous, odious and hateful offenses and which, by reason of their inherent or manifest
wickedness, viciousness, atrocity and perversity are repugnant and outrageous to the common
standards and norms of decency and morality in a just, civilized and ordered society.”

The Death Penalty Act, which was repealed in 2006, classified murder and rape as “heinous
crimes” that may be punishable by death.
In 1995, Sanchez and six others were sentenced to seven terms of reclusion perpetua, for the
brutal rape and murder of University of the Philippines Los Baños student Eileen Sarmenta
and for the torture and murder of Allan Gomez, another student, two years prior.

Under the RPC, the maximum detention period is 40 years, regardless of the number of terms
that one must serve. This means Sanchez will serve only 40 years in prison at most, even if he
was sentenced to seven terms of life imprisonment.
In 1996, the court convicted Sanchez and three others of double murder of father and son
Nelson and Rickson Peñalosa. Sanchez was already in jail then for the rape-slay of Sarmenta
and the killing of Gomez.
In 1999, the SC affirmed the lower courts’ rulings against Sanchez for the Sarmenta-Gomez
rape-slay and the Peñalosas slay cases.
REPUBLIC ACT No. 10575
AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE BUREAU OF CORRECTIONS (BUCOR) AND
PROVIDING FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:
Section 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as "The Bureau of Corrections Act of 2013″.
Section 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is the policy of the State to promote the general welfare
and safeguard the basic rights of every prisoner incarcerated in our national penitentiary. It
also recognizes the responsibility of the State to strengthen government capability aimed
towards the institutionalization of highly efficient and competent correctional services.
Towards this end, the State shall provide for the modernization, professionalization and
restructuring of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) by upgrading its facilities, increasing the
number of its personnel, upgrading the level of qualifications of their personnel and
standardizing their base pay, retirement and other benefits, making it at par with that of the
Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
Section 3. Definition of Terms. –
(a) Safekeeping, which is the custodial component of the BuCor’s present corrections system,
shall refer to the act that ensures the public (including families of inmates and their victims)
that national inmates are provided with their basic needs, completely incapacitated from
further committing criminal acts, and have been totally cut off from their criminal networks
(or contacts in the free society) while serving sentence inside the premises of the national
penitentiary. This act also includes protection against illegal organized armed groups which
have the capacity of launching an attack on any prison camp of the national penitentiary to
rescue their convicted comrade or to forcibly amass firearms issued to prison guards.
(b) Reformation, which is the rehabilitation component of the BuCor’s present corrections
system, shall refer to the acts which ensure the public (including families of inmates and their
victims) that released national inmates are no longer harmful to the community by becoming
reformed individuals prepared to live a normal and productive life upon reintegration to the
mainstream society.
Section 4. The Mandates of the Bureau of Corrections. – The BuCor shall be in charge of
safekeeping and instituting reformation programs to national inmates sentenced to more than
three (3) years.
(a) Safekeeping of National Inmates – The safekeeping of inmates shall include decent
provision of quarters, food, water and clothing in compliance with established United Nations
standards. The security of the inmates shall be undertaken by the Custodial Force consisting
of Corrections Officers with a ranking system and salary grades similar to its counterpart in
the BJMP.
(b) Reformation of National Inmates – The reformation programs, which will be instituted by
the BuCor for the inmates, shall be the following:
(1) Moral and Spiritual Program;
(2) Education and Training Program;
(3) Work and Livelihood Program;
(4) Sports and Recreation Program;
(5) Health and Welfare Program; and
(6) Behavior Modification Program, to include Therapeutic Community.
(c) The reformation programs shall be undertaken by Professional Reformation Personnel
consisting of Corrections Technical Officers with ranking system and salary grades similar to
Corrections Officers.
(1) Corrections Technical Officers are personnel employed in the implementation of
reformation programs and those personnel whose nature of work requires proximate or direct
contact with inmates.
(2) Corrections Technical Officers include priests, evangelists, pastors, teachers, instructors,
professors, vocational placement officers, librarians, guidance counselors, physicians, nurses,
medical technologists, pharmacists, dentists, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists,
sociologists, social workers, engineers, electricians, agriculturists, veterinarians, lawyers and
similar professional skills relevant to the implementation of inmate reformation programs.
Section 5. Operations of the Bureau of Corrections. – (a) The BuCor shall operate with a
directorial structure. It shall undertake reception of inmates through its Directorate for
Reception and Diagnostics (DRD), formerly Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC),
provide basic needs and security through its Security and Operations Directorates, administer
reformation programs through its Reformation Directorates, and prepare inmates for
reintegration to mainstream society through its Directorate for External Relations (DER),
formerly External Relations Division (ERD).
(b) The DRD shall be responsible for the conduct of classification of each and every inmate
admitted to the BuCor. Inmates shall be classified according to security risk and sentence.
Included in the classification is determining inmate’s certain skills or talents, physical,
spiritual, social, mental and psychological evaluation and other behavioral assessments, as
reference of the DRD in the preparation of individual inmate reformation programs.
(c) Aside from those borne of the provisions under Rule 8, Part I, Rules of General
Application of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners
and that of the existing regulation of the BuCor on security classification (i.e. maximum,
medium and minimum security risk), inmates shall also be internally classified by the DRD
and segregated according to crimes committed based on the related penal codes such as
Crimes Against Persons, Crimes Against Properties, Crimes Against Chastity, so on and so
forth, as well as by other related Special Laws, Custom and Immigration Laws.
(d) From the DRD, the Custodial Force and Reformation Personnel of respective security
institutions/camps shall be in charge for the security and the implementation of the
recommended inmate reformation program of each and every inmate while serving sentence,
respectively.
(e) The Directorate for External Relations (DER) shall be responsible for pre-release and
post-release programs of inmates due for release. The DER shall also classify inmates
according to skills acquired for referral and endorsement to appropriate companies or
corporations participating in the BuCor On-The-Job Training Programs for newly reformed
inmates. The DER shall also evaluate, classify and apply necessary programs to inmates for
readiness to join the mainstream society upon release.
(f) Apart from handling inmates, the BuCor shall administratively operate like a standard
government agency through its Administrative Directorates with internal control and internal
audit units.
(g) The BuCor shall employ full computerization in the build-up, maintenance and transmittal
of necessary inmate records to all its Prison and Penal Farms and other recipient agencies (i.e.
Board of Pardons and Parole).
Section 6. Lands of the Bureau of Corrections. – (a) Aside from administrative purposes, all
BuCor lands shall be used for inmate security, reformation programs and as a means to
promote sustainability, both for income and non-income generating programs, with or without
partnership among nongovernment organizations, civic organizations or other government
entities.
(b) As a way to maximize its assets’ value for the effective and extensive reformation
(corrections) programs for national inmates, the BuCor shall have the absolute authority to
design, formulate and implement land-use development plans and policies.
(c) The BuCor may propose additional penal farms as may be necessary as possible, aside
from its existing seven (7) prison and penal farms to decongest existing penal institutions and
accommodate the increasing number of inmates committed to the agency.
(d) All BuCor lands shall have a Certificate of Title registered under its name.
Section 7. Facilities of the Bureau of Corrections. – The BuCor shall operate with standard
and uniform design of prison facilities, reformation facilities and administrative facilities,
through all the operating prison and penal farms, such as the following:
(a) Dormitory;
(b) Administration building;
(c) Perimeter/Security fences;
(d) Hospital/Infirmary;
(e) Recreation/Multipurpose hall;
(f) Training/Lecture center;
(g) Workshop facility;
(h) Mess hall/kitchen;
(i) Visiting area;
(j) Water tank and pump;
(k) Reception and diagnostic center; and
(l) Service personnel facilities.
Section 8. Supervision of the Bureau of Corrections. – The Department of Justice (DOJ),
having the BuCor as a line bureau and a constituent unit, shall maintain a relationship of
administrative supervision with the latter as defined under Section 38(2), Chapter 7, Book IV
of Executive Order No. 292 (Administrative Code of 1987), except that the DOJ shall retain
authority over the power to review, reverse, revise or modify the decisions of the BuCor in
the exercise of its regulatory or quasi-judicial functions.
Section 9. Organization and Key Positions of the Bureau of Corrections. – (a) The BuCor
shall be headed by a Director who shall be assisted by three (3) Deputy Directors: one (1) for
administration, one (1) for security and operations and one (1) for reformation, all of whom
shall be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the Secretary of the DOJ:
Provided, That the Director and the Deputy Directors of the BuCor shall serve a tour of duty
not to exceed six (6) years from the date of appointment: Provided, further, That in times of
war or other national emergency declared by Congress, the President may extend such tour of
duty.
(b) The Head of the BuCor, with the rank of Undersecretary, shall have the position and title
of Director General of Corrections. The second officers in command of the BuCor, with the
rank of Assistant Secretary, shall have the position and title of Deputy Directors of
Corrections. The third officer in command of the BuCor, with the rank of Chief
Superintendent, shall have the position and title of Corrections Chief Superintendent. The
fourth officer in command of the BuCor, with the rank of Senior Superintendent, shall have
the position and title of Corrections Senior Superintendent. The fifth officer in command of
the BuCor, with the rank of Superintendent, shall have the position and title of Corrections
Superintendent.
(c) The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) shall rationalize the existing
organizational structure and staffing pattern of the BuCor in accordance with the provisions of
this Act and relevant compensation and position classification laws, rules and regulations.
Section 10. Increase of Personnel. – The BuCor shall maintain the custodial personnel-to-
inmate ratio of 1:7 and reformation personnel-to-inmate ratio of 1:24. Hence, it is authorized
to increase its manpower to meet such ratio and may continue to increase personnel per
percentage rate increase of committed inmates annually or as the need arises.
Section 11. Professionalization and Upgrading of Qualification Standards in the Appointment
of the BuCor Personnel. – (a) No person shall be appointed as personnel of the BuCor unless
one possesses the following minimum qualifications:
(1) A citizen of the Republic of the Philippines;
(2) A person of good moral character;
(3) Must have passed the psychiatric/psychological, drug and physical test for the purpose of
determining his/her physical and mental health;
(4) Must possess a baccalaureate degree from a recognized learning institution;
(5) Must possess the appropriate civil service eligibility;
(6) Must not have been dishonorably discharged or dismissed for cause from previous
employment;
(7) Must not have been convicted by final judgment of an offense or crime involving moral
turpitude; and
(8) Must be at least one meter and sixty-two centimeters (1.62 m.) in height for male, and one
meter and fifty-seven centimeters (1.57 m.) for female: Provided, That a waiver for height and
age requirement/s may be granted to applicants belonging to the cultural communities:
Provided, further, That a new applicant must not be less than twenty-one (21) or more than
forty (40) years of age. Except for this particular provision, the above-enumerated
qualifications shall be continuing in character and an absence of any one of them at any given
time shall be ground for separation or retirement from the service: Provided, furthermore,
That those who are already in the service upon the effectivity of this Act shall be given five
(5) years from the date of such effectivity to obtain the minimum educational qualification
and eligibility with subsidiary assistance as provided for in this Act.
(b) After the lapse of the period for the satisfaction of a specific requirement, incumbent
personnel of the BuCor who fail to satisfy any of the requirements enumerated under this
section shall be separated from the service if they are below fifty (50) years of age and have
served in the government for less than twenty (20) years, or retired if they are fifty (50) years
and above and have served in the government for at least twenty (20) years without prejudice
in either case to the payment of benefits they may be entitled to under existing laws.
(c) For sustained professionalism in the service, the BuCor is directed to conduct study for the
feasible establishment of the Philippine Corrections Academy, patterned after the Philippine
National Police Academy (PNPA) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine
Military Academy (PMA) of the Armed Forces of Philippines (AFP) for its commissioned
officers.
(d) The BuCor shall continue training its personnel through its Personnel Training School,
which shall be renamed as Corrections Training School/Institute patterned after the BJMP’s
Jail National Training Institute (JNTI), the Bureau of Fire’s Fire National Training Institute
(FNTI) and the PNP’s National Training Institute (PNTI).
Section 12. Appointment of Personnel to the BuCor. – The appointment of the BuCor shall be
effected in the following manner:
(a) Corrections Officer I to Corrections Chief Superintendent – Appointed by the Director
General of Corrections, and attested by the Civil Service Commission (CSC); and
(b) Director General of Corrections and Deputy Director of Corrections – Appointed by the
President upon the recommendation of the Secretary of the DOJ, with the proper endorsement
by the Chairman of the CSC.
Bureau of Corrections
The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) needs more than P177 billion to implement its
modernization plan which includes the construction of regional prisons, the setting up of
facilities for persons convicted of heinous crimes, and the development of idle lands for
agricultural production.
“
But initially, we need about P18.9 billion to jumpstart the BuCor modernization plan,” BuCor
Acting Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. told journalists in a press conference on
Monday, Feb. 20.
He said that since there are plans to close down the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) reservation in
Muntinlupa City, the funds for the modernization plan could be sourced from leasing the
property to corporations.

We can raise as much as P300 billion. If we have 300 hectares and we allow the lease of
about 300 hectares with the amount of P1 billion per hectare easily we can raise the amount,”
he explained.
He said there were around 1,000 families of informal settlers at the NBP reservation but he
assured them that they will not be left out without homes.
“
Magtatayo tayo ng (we will build) tenement house to accommodate all of the informal
settlers,” he also said.
Catapang, a retired chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said BuCor’s road
map is in accordance with the Philippine Development Plan of President Ferdinand
“Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Republic Act 10575 or the Bucor Act of 2013, and RA 11928 or the
Separate Facility for Heinous Crimes Act.
He said he hopes to present BuCor’s plan to the President in March.
“We’re still asking for the most convenient time of the President but we are prepared to
present anytime,” he also said.

During the meeting with the President, Catapang said he will ask the President “to issue an
executive order enjoining all government agencies and bureaus to support BuCor’s
modernization road map.”
He said he “will request the President to declare some portions of the existing reservations in
Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao as heinous crimes facilities.”

He said he is eyeing 1,000 hectares each from Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija which has
45,000 hectares; Camp Peralta in Capiz which has 33,020 hectares; and Camp Kibaritan in
Bukidnon which has 33,020 hectares.
“The construction of these facilities will commence in 2024, but in the meantime, we have the
Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm which is in Mindoro. We were given funds by DPWH
(Department of Public Works and Highways) to immediately construct the heinous crime
facility in Mindoro which will accommodate 2,500 PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) who
were convicted of heinous crimes,” he also said.

Aside from this, Catapang said the BuCor is currently securing locations for regional prisons
that will add to its existing five operating prison and penal farms (OPPF) including the
Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm (SPPF) in Occidental Mindoro. The other existing OPPFs
are Leyte Regional Prison (LRP) in Abuyog, Leyte; San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm
(SRPPF) in Zamboanga City; Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF) in Palawan; and Davao
Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) in Davao del Norte.
“
We will reconfigure our prison compounds into only 2,500 PDLs per prison compound to
address the congestion issue,” he said.
At the same time, Catapang said BuCor will be asking for “the increase of daily subsistence
allowance for PDLs from P70 to P100 and then we will ask the hiring of additional 4,000
correctional officers to address the correction officers versus PDLs disparity because we are
really in need of people to supervise the PDLs.”
He said BuCor is also eyeing to relocate its headquarters and corrections institute in Tanay,
Rizal where it also plans to erect housing facilities for its personnel.

“We are commissioning the UP Urban Planning and Regional Planning Office as one of those
who can help in our urban planning if ever we finally decide to go to Tanay,” he also said.
Catapang revealed he is proposing to convert the existing OPPFs into agri-aqua production
centers in accordance with RA 10575.

The idle lands in the prison facilities will be used as a food production center, he said.
“Lahat gusto ko i-develop. Ayoko nakakakita ng tiwangwang na lupa, sayang. Food security
ang problema ng bayan natin (I want to develop BuCor’s properties. I don’t want idle lands.
The problem of the country is food security),” he said.
He added that he has been meeting with Department of A