Emilio Aguinaldo College

SCHOOL OF CRIMINOLOGY
Manila

INSTITUTIONAL CORRECTIONS
IMPORTANT TERMINOLOGIES

COMPETENT AUTHORITY – refers to the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Regional Trial Court, Metropolitan
Trial Court, Municipal Trial Court, Municipal Circuit Trial Court, Sandigan Bayan, Military Courts, House of
Representatives, Senate, Commission on Elections, Bureau of Immigration and Deportation and Board of Pardons and
Parole.
CARPETA – refers to the institutional record of an inmate which consist of his mittimus/commitment order, the
prosecutor’s information and the decision of the trial court, including the appellate court, if any.
COMMITMENT – the entrusting for confinement of an inmate to a jail by competent authority for investigation, trial
and/or service of sentence.
CORRECTIONS – is that branch of administration of criminal justice charged with responsibility for the custody,
supervision, and rehabilitation, of the convicted offender.
– the combination of public and private services with legal authority to provide for the care, custody
and control of those accused convicted of a criminal or status offense.
– the program, services, and institutions responsible for those individuals who are accused or
convicted of criminal offenses.
CLASSIFICATION – refers to the assigning or grouping of inmates according to their sentence, gender, age, nationality,
health, criminal records, etc.
– a method by which diagnosis, treatment, planning and execution of treatment programs are
coordinated to an individual.
– the process of assigning inmates to types of custody or treatment programs appropriate to their
needs.
COMMITMENT ORDER – a written order of the court or any other competent authority consigning an offender to a
jail or prison for confinement.
CONTRABAND – any article, item, or thing prohibited by law and/or forbidden by jail rules.
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT – the infliction of physical pain as a form of punishment.
DETAINEE – person who is confined in prison pending preliminary investigation, trial or appeal; or upon legal process
issued by the competent authority.
– a person accused before a court or competent authority who is temporarily confined in jail while
undergoing investigation, awaiting final judgment.
DETERRENCE – a crime-control strategy that uses punishment to prevent others from committing similar crimes.

DEATH CONVICT – refers to an inmate death penalty/sentence imposed by the Regional Trial Court is affirmed by the
Supreme Court.
DIVERSIFICATION – administrative device of correctional institutions of providing varied and flexible types of
physical plants for more effective control of treatment programs of its diversified population.
DIVERSION – establishment of alternatives to formal justice system such as deferred prosecution, resolution of citizen’s
dispute, and treatment alternative to street crimes.
DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION – a crime strategy that focuses on keeping the offenders in the community rather than
placing them in long-term institution.
ESCAPE – an act of getting out unlawfully from confinement or custody by an inmate.
– Evasion of service of sentence (Art. 157, RPC)
INSTRUMENT OF RESTRAINT – a device, contrivance, tool, or instrument used to hold back, keep in, check, or
control an inmate; e.g. hand cuffs, leg irons
INMATE – (brief definition) either a prisoner or detainee confined in jail.
– (as defined in Bureau of Corrections Operating Manual) refers to a national prisoner or one
sentenced by the court to serve a maximum term of imprisonment of more than three (3) years or
to a fine of more than one thousand pesos (P1, 000.00); or regardless of the length of the sentence
imposed by the court, to one sentenced for violation of the Customs Law or other laws within the
jurisdiction of the Bureau of Customs or enforceable by it, or violation of immigration and election
laws; or to one sentenced to serve two (2) or more prison sentences in the aggregate exceeding the
period of three (3) years, whether or not he has appealed. It shall include a person committed to the
Bureau by a court or competent authority for safekeeping or similar purpose. Unless otherwise
indicated, “inmate” shall also refer to a “detainee.”
JAIL – a place of confinement for inmates under investigation, awaiting or undergoing trial or serving sentence.
– is a building or place of confinement of arrested or sentenced persons. It is usually made up of cells
which are made up of small rooms or enclosures where prisoners are actually kept or confined
(People vs. Caricaban, 13672-CR, Sept. 9, 1965)

MITTIMUS – a warrant issued by a court bearing its seal and the signature of the judge, directing the jail or prison
authorities to receive inmates for custody or service of sentence imposed therein.
PENANCE – an ecclesiastical punishment inflicted by an ecclesiastical court for some spiritual offense.
PENAL SERVITUDE – a punishment, which consist of keeping an offender in confinement and compelling him to
labor.
PENALTY – is the suffering that is inflicted by the state for the transgression of the law.
PENITENTIARY – a prison, correctional institution, or other place of confinement where convicted felons are sent to
serve out the term of their sentence.
PENOLOGY – a branch of criminology, which deals with management and administration of inmates.
– the science of prison management and rehabilitation of criminals (Black’s Law Dictionary)
PRISON – a public building or other place for the confinement of person, whether as a punishment imposed by the law or
otherwise in the course of the administration of justice
– (as defined in the Bureau of Corrections Operating Manual) it also refers to a penal establishment
under the control of the Bureau of Corrections and shall include the New Bilibid Prison, the
Correctional Institution for Women, Leyte Regional Prison, and the Davao, San Ramon, Sablayan,
and Iwahig Prison and Penal Farms.
PRISON RECORD – refers to information containing an inmate’s personal circumstances, the offense he committed, the
sentence imposed, the criminal case numbers in the trial appellate courts, the date he commenced service of his sentence,
the date he was received for confinement, the place of confinement, the date of expiration of his sentence, the number of
previous conviction, if any, and his behavior and conduct while in prison.
PRISONER – an inmate who is convicted by final judgment and classified as insular, provincial, city, or municipal
prisoner.
PUNISHMENT – infliction of some sort of pain on the offender for violating the law.
REHABILITATION – a program of activity directed to restore an inmate’s self-respect thereby making him a law-
abiding citizen after serving his sentence.
– to change an offender’s character, attitude or behavior patterns so as to diminish his or her criminal
propensities.
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.
DETERMINATE SENTENCE – a fixed period of incarceration imposed on the offender by the court.
INDETERMINATE SENTENCE – sets minimum and maximum period of incarceration.
PRESUMPTIVE SENTENCING – an alternative to limit sentencing disparity which sets minimum average and
maximum terms allowing the judge to select a term based on the characteristics of the offender and aggravating
circumstances.
SENTENCING DISPARITY – divergence in the type and length of sentence imposed for the same crime with no
evidence reason for the difference.

SELECTIVE INCAPACITATION – the doctrine of isolating the offender or causing social disablement proposed
adopting a policy of incarcerating those whose criminal behavior is so damaging or probable that short of isolation will
prevent recidivism.

SHOCK PROBATION (1865, Ohio) – a deterrence-based sentence to prison, designed to give the offender a taste of
incarceration in the belief that this will deter future criminal activity.

PRISONIZATION – process by which an inmate learns through socialization; the rules and regulation of the penitentiary
culture.

COED INSTITUTION – or co-correctional institution which hold both male and female offenders who interact and
share the facility except for sleeping areas. They study, eat, dance, work and engage in leisure activities within one
campus.

STATUS OFFENSE – behavior or conduct that is an offense only when committed by juvenile.

BLUE-FLU – the practice of uniformed personnel of taking sick leave EN MASSE to back-up their demands fro
impoved working conditions, salary increments, and other items on their agenda.

CONVICT BOGEY – society exaggerated fear of the convict and ex-convict which is usually far out of proportion to the
real danger they present.

FURLOUGH – authorization that permits inmate to leave containment, for emergency family crises, usually
accompanied by correctional officer. Crises include “death bed”.

WEEK-END CONFINEMENT – offender are allowed to retain current employment and permit sentences to be served
during weekends.

HALF-WAY HOUSES – are non-confining residential facilities for adjudicated adults or juvenile or those subject to
proceedings. They are alternative to containment for person not suited for probation that need period for re-adjustment to
the community after imprisonment.
 QUARTER HOUSES – for probationers
 HALF HOUSES – for parolees
  THREE QUARTER HOUSES – intensive alternative for prison confinement/commitment

EXPUNGE – the process by which the record of crime conviction is destroyed or sealed after expiration of statutory
required time.

FACTORS FOR CLASSIFICATION

 As to security risk
Minimum, medium, maximum and super maximum security prisoners
 As to gender
Male, female and third sex
 As to age
Youthful offender, of majority age, sixty-five years old and above
 As to physical disability
Blind, invalid, mentally ill
 As to discipline
Escapees, recidivist, homicidal maniac
 As to detention status
Undergoing investigation, awaiting trial, awaiting final judgment
 As to safekeeping status
Contempt of Court (Sec. 7 Rule 71 of the Rules of Court)
Safekeeping (Art. 24, RPC)
Upon orders of competent authority
 Special Segregation Cell
Those who were in receipt of absolute pardon but awaiting final order of release
Those who were under advice of release of parole condition
Those who are on thirty (30) days orientation period before the final date of release
 Religious Segregation Hall
Christians, Moslems, Non-Christians
 Mess-Hall Segregation
Non-pork eating, non-beef eating, other religious doctrinal ban of food
 Race Segregation Cell
Malay, Caucasian, and others
 As to nationality
Native (Natural Born), foreigner (should also be regard respective citizenships)
 Criminal Record
Habitual delinquent, recidivist, first time offender
ORIGIN OF THE WORD PRISON
- the word prison was derived from the Greco-Roman word PRESIDIO
- PRE means BEFORE and SIDIO means INSIDE. It is synonymous to a fenced-cave or dungeon.
ORIGIN OF THE WORD JAIL
- it is said to have been derived from the Spanish word JAULO which means a CAGE.
- Etymologist attributed that it originated from the Spanish word meaning a place of confinement.
- It is also said to have been derived from the French word GAOL pronounced as “geole”, a place for the
arrested criminals.
ESCAPE
– is derived from the Greek word ESCAPIO and from the Latin word ESCAPIUM which means
BY CHANCE OR ACCIDENT.
JAIL AND PRISON DISTINGUISHED (Philippine Setting)
 In general, both are places for confinement.
 As to sentence imposed
Jail – for convicted offenders sentenced to imprisonment of three years or less.
Prison – for convicted offenders sentenced to imprisonment of more than three years to death.
 As to government agency concerned
Jail – administered by the local government which has jurisdiction, under the Bureau of Jail Management and
Penology, under the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Prison – administered by the national government, specifically by the Bureau of Corrections, under the
Department of Justice.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF JAIL
 LOCK-UP – is a security facility for the temporary detention of persons held for investigation or awaiting
preliminary hearing.
 ORDINARY – houses both offenders awaiting court action and those serving short sentences usually up to three
(3) years.
 WORK HOUSE, JAIL FARM OR CAMP HOUSES – detains minimum custody prisoners with constructive
work programs.
GULAG
 –
the term Gulag of Igorot mountain tribe according to the linguist, refers to a wooden-fence where
convicted felons were imprisoned by the elders.
– At the height of the Banawe Rice-Terraces construction, thetribe’s chieftain considers it a crime for
any able-bodied male who refuses to work at the terraces, if found guilty of such idleness, he will
be sent to the Gulag.
GULAG OF GERMANY
– this is infamous Gulag prison of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in Germany, where thousand of Jews
were man-slaughtered during the reign of Adolph Hitler.
GULAG OF RUSSIA
– this is synonymous for corrective labor camp, a penal institution established in 1918 after the
Russian Revolution. It was the most feared prison during the reign of Joseph Stalin on 1934 to
1947.

METHODS OF DEATH PENALTY EXECUTED IN THE PHILIPPINES

1. GARROTE
This became popular when three (3) friar’s priests, commonly addressed as GOMBURZA, were executed
in 1872 by the Spanish colonial rulers for exposing the venalities of the church.

2. MUSKETRY
Our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, died due to the alleged rebellion to the Spanish government. Drug Lord
Lim Seng met his death sentence by firing squad in 1973 at Fort Bonifacio during Martial Law.

3. BEHEADING
Apprehended guerillas were beheaded by Samurai Sword at the Japanese Kempetei Garrison in 1943.

4. HANGING
The famous tiger of Malaysia Yamashita died of hanging from 13th footstep platform in 1946.

5. ELECTRIC CHAIR
The Muntinlupa electric chair has claimed more than seventy (70) offenders convicted of capital offenses
since its installation four (4) decades ago.

6. LETHAL INJECTION
While the 1987 Constitution abolished death sentence, however, Congress in 1996 passed RA 7659 as
amended by RA 8177 that imposes death penalty for heinous crime by lethal injection.

OTHER FORMS OF EXECUTION

 STONING
It is a form of execution wherein the condemned person is pelted with stones.

 BEHEADING
A form of capital punishment practice in ancient Greece and Europe, the punishment is reserved for
offender of high rank and for notorious criminals. The condemned man’s neck is placed on the wooden curved
specifically designed for the purpose. Most often, the doomed-man is black hooded with both hands tied at the
back before his head is positioned at the chopping black. At a given signal the head is axed and the severed head
fall on the trunk provided therefore. Today, beheading continues to be the method of executions for capital
punishment in many Muslim countries including China.

 CRUCIFIXION
A person convicted to death was nailed on the cross with both hands and feet to add ignominy to his
agony and humiliation. He was crowned with the specter of spines of vines in his head. Then the Roman pears
were thrusts to his flesh body and died of asphyxiation.

 BURNING AT STAKE
Form of execution wherein the convict is tied in pole and then set on fire alive.

 FEEDING TO THE LIONS

The offender is thrown in a lion’s den.

 PILLORY
Bouvier’s dictionary defines pillory as a wooden machine, in which the neck of the doomed culprit is
inserted thereof and usually executed in public as a means of punishing offenders in Europe and Colonial
America.
Pillory is a wooden frame with three (3) curved holes in it (two for the left and right wrists and the middle
curved hole is for the neck) and mounted on the post upon a platform. The condemned man is left to die at the
mercy of unfriendly weather. Other similar form with holes for the offender’s feet is called a STOCK.
  DECAPITATION
Derived from the Latin word “DE” meaning FROM, and “CAPUT” meaning a HEAD. Instead of using
an axe, the method employed is by use of a sword and the practice is widespread in China and Muslim States.

 FLAGELLATION
An X-designed log were cross-joined and declined at 65 degrees backward. The hooded doomed-man was
tied on the cross-x with both hands spread upward while the feet were spread apart. The con-man is bare naked
except in the skimpy short pants.
The whipping rod is made of stripped hard leather with brass button in laid across and embedded at the
tips. At the given signal, six men will whip 30 lashes each alternately and will continue, except upon the
intercession of the victim or the State. This intervention of the aggrieved party to stop is tantamount to pardon and
the man shall be released to freedom.

 GARROTE
An iron collar attached upon a scaffold formerly used in Spain and Portugal. The convict is seated on the
improvised chair with both hands and feet tied. Then, the victim’s neck is placed on the collar attached to it,
finally, the iron collar is slowly tightened by the screw at the back chair by the executioner until the death convict
is pronounced dead.
This method of execution was abolished in the Philippines by virtue of Act 451.

 GUILLOTINE
A device for cutting-off people’s head developed in 1972 by Dr. Joseph Ignacio Guillotin, a member of
the French National Assembly, he proposed that all executions must be uniform and painless.

 ELECTRIC CHAIR
The convict is seated on a chair made of electrical conducting materials with strap of electrodes on wrist,
ankle and head. Upon orders, the levers will be pulled-up and the fatal volts of alternating current pas the body
until the convict dies. If ever the convict is still alive, the lever shall be pulled again until he is pronounced dead.

 HANGING
Mostly, the execution is conducted at dawn. The executioner will place a cloth over his head. Steel
weights are strapped to the legs of the death convict to ensure that he/she will die quickly. Then the rope will be
placed around the neck of the convict, and finally, the platform will be removed.

 MUSKETRY
Most often, the convict is black hooded with hands tied and may face or snub the firing squad.

 GAS CHAMBER
Invented after World War I by a medical Corp’s Officer of the US Army as an alternative to electric
chair. In medical term, the convict will die from HYPOXIA which means death due to the cutting-off of oxygen
in the brain.

 LETHAL INJECTION
Developed in 1924 by an anesthesiologist in Nevada. Components of chemicals used in Lethal Injection are: Non-
lethal Dose/SODIUM THIOPENTAL – a sleep inducing barbiturate commonly used in surgery to put the patient
asleep; Lethal Dose/PANCURONIUM BROMIDE – a drug capable of paralyzing the muscles; POTASSIUM
CHLORIDE – capable of stopping heartbeat within seconds, this is commonly used in Heart-by-pass operations.
SOME IMPORTANT PERSONALITIES IN THE HISTORY OF CORRECTIONS

o WILLIAM PENN – founder of Pennsylvania and leader of the English Quakers. Before he conceived the idea of
Pennsylvania, he became the leading defender of religious toleration of England. He was imprisoned six times for
speaking out courageously. While in prison, he wrote one pamphlet after another which gave quakers literature
and attacked intolerance. In 1682, he legislated the Quaker’s “Great Law” – a more or quite humane law
compared with harsh colonial codes in force at the time as a punishment for serious crime. In 1718, one day after
his death, Quaker code gave way to English Anglican Code, a harsher code.

o POPE CLEMENT XI – in 1704 he built Hospice of San Michelle – a reformatory fro delinquent boys used to
this date. He placed an inscription over the door. It is insufficient to restrain the wicked by punishment them
virtuous by corrective discipline.

o CHARLES LOUIS de SECONDAT, BARON DELA BREDE ET DE MONTESQUIEU (1689-1755) – he

inherited the seat in the Parliament of Bordeaux, France, and was active in politics and writing for most of his life.
By far, his most influential work is “On the Spirit of the Laws – 1748”, which presented his analysis the nature
believed that harsh punishment would undermine morality and that appealing to moral sentiment was better
means of preventing crime. He was credited to have introduced the idea of “separation of powers” in the
 government to the following executive, for the enforcement of laws; legislative for the making of laws, and the
interpretation and scrutiny of laws.

o FRANCOIS MARIE AROUET (pen name VOLTAIRE) 1694-1778 – a French author and philosopher who
believed that fear of shame is a deterrent to crime. He was born on November 21, 1694 in Paris, whose wit,
intelligence and keen sense of justice made him one of France’s greatest writers and philosophers. He was
however an ardent critic of church, as such, Voltaire was denied burial church ground.

o DENNIS DESIDEROT (1718-1784) – French encyclopedic and philosopher whose encyclopedia became a force
for a change in the 18th century. Like Montesquieu and Votaire, he was also imprisoned fro denouncing orthodox
religion in his work “Letters fro the Blind”.

o CESARE BONESANA MARCHESE DI BECCARIA (1738-1794) – founder of the Classical School of

Criminology. As a Milanese lawyer, published short treaties “On Crimes and Punishments” at the age of 26. It
was the most exciting essay on law of the 18th century.

o JEREMY BENTHAM – devised the Panopticon Inspection House.

 UTILITARIANISM – a principle introduced by Jeremy Bentham claiming that individuals put every
situation into an equation to determine the pleasure from the commission of a crime and pain that will
sustain be as a consequence. Law should be used to inflict enough pain to offenders for them to cease
from committing crime.
o SIR SAMUEL ROMILY (1757-1818) – a follower of Bentham who pressed for the construction of the first
modern English prison, the Milbank Prison in 1816.

o JEAN JACQUES VILAIN – in 1773, he built the Maison de Foce (stronghouse). He is one of the first who
developed the system of classification of inmates. He defined discipline by the biblical rule “if any man will not
work, neither let him eat”.
o JOHN HOWARD (1726-1790) – shocked by the condition he found in hulks. He pressed for legislation to
alleviate and improve said conditions in 1773. In 1777 by his work State of Prisons, Parliament passed the
Penitentiary Act providing 4 principles for reform: (1) secure a sanitary structure (2) systematic inspection (3)
abolition of fees (4) a reformatory regime. He pioneered the concept of penitentiary and devoted his life and
fortune to prison reform while serving as Sheriff of Bedfordshire.
o MANUEL MONTESIMOS – Director of Prisons in Valencia Spain in 1835. He divided prisoners into
companies and appointed prisoners as petty in charge; allowed reduction of the inmates sentence by 1/3 for good
behavior; offered trade to prepare the convicts for return to society.
o DOMETS OF FRANCE – in 1839, he established an agricultural colony for delinquent boys, providing house
fathers-in-charge. He concentrated on re-education. Upon their discharge, the boys were placed under the
supervision of a patron.
o CAPTAIN ALEXANDER MACONOCHIE (1840) – Superintendent of a penal colony in Norfolk Island
(known as “Hellhole” – for those who were twice condemned. Maconochie replaced flat sentencing with “Mark
System”, (a progressive humane system to substitute for corporal punishment, wherein prisoners where required
to earn number of marks based on proper department, labor and study in order to entitle him to a “ticket of leave”
or conditional release – a precursor of parole. He also introduced other progressive measures such as fair
disciplinary traits, building of churches, distributing books and permitting prisoners to tend small gardens.
o JOHN AUGUSTUS (1785-1859) – The Father of Probation”
On 1841, the Boston shoemaker started his voluntary service by bailing out drunkards who could not pay
fines and requesting courts for temporary suspension or postponement of sentence for those whom he judged were
ready to quit alcohol afterwards he would report to the court regarding the progress of the offenders under his
supervision. He bailed out almost 2, 000 men, women and children and out of the 1, 100, only one forfeited a
bond.

o SIR WALTER CROFTON of Ireland – on 1854, he was the director of Irish Prison who introduced IRISH
SYSTEM which was later called PROGRESSIVE STAGE SYSTEM actually a modification of Maconochie’s
Mark System.
o ZEBULONS REED BROCKWAY (1827-1920) – along with Enoch C. Wines and Franklin Benjamin Sanborn
(composed the big 3’s of penology in 1870). Brockway introduced new institutional programs for boys 16 to 23 of
age, adopting Maconochie’s and Croftonic system.
 ELMIRA REFORMATORY – is considered the forerunner of modern penology because it had all the
elements of a modern correctional system; school type/compulsory education; casework method;
extensive use of parole based on the indeterminate sentence. This introduced a grading system to
prisoners, (1) new prisoners are 2nd grade (2) 1st grade after six months of good behavior (3) another six
months – qualified for parole. In case of misconduct, demoted to 3rd grade.
o SIR EVELYN RUGGLES BRISE – in 1897, after visiting Elmira, he opened borstal institution based entirely
on the individual treatment. Today, it is considered as the best reform institution for young offenders.
o DAVID FOGEL (1976) – Justice Model Black to Classical School.

Bureau of Jail Management Bureau of Corrections

 Correctional Agency: and Penology (BJMP) (Formerly Bureau of
Prisons)
Law Provided: Republic Act Reorganization Act of 1905
6975
Effective: January 2, 1991 November 1, 1905
Full supervision and control Full supervision and control
Function: over all district, city and over all National/Insular
municipal jails Prison Facility
Government agency Department of the Interior
concerned: and Local Government Department of Justice

NATIONAL CORRECTIONS CONSCIOUSNESS WEEK

 Every last week of October
 By virtue of Proclamation Number 551 signed on March 15, 1995, by former President Fidel V. Ramos.

FOUR (4) MAIN CLASSES OF PRISONERS

 INSULAR PRISONER – one who is sentenced to a prison term of three (3) years and one (1) day to
death.
 PROVINCIAL PRISONER – one who is sentenced to a prison term of six (6) months and one (1) day
to three (3) years.
 CITY PRISONER – one who is sentenced to a prison term of one (1) day to three (3) years.
 MUNICIPAL PRISONER – one who is sentenced to a prison term of one (1) day to six (6) months.

CLASSIFICATION OF SENTENCED PRISONERS ACCORDING TO P. D. 29

 INSULAR/NATIONAL PRISONER – sentence to serve a prison term of over three (3) years or to a
fine of more than six thousand pesos (P6, 000) or both.
 CITY/PROVINCIAL PRISONER – sentenced to serve less than three (3) years but over six (6)
months or to a fine less than six thousand pesos (P6, 000) but more than two hundred pesos (P200) or
both.
 MUNICIPAL PRISONER – sentenced to serve less than six (6) months or to a fine of not more than
two hundred pesos (P200).

CATEGORIES OF INMATES
o Prisoners
o Detainees
DETAINEE
 Undergoing investigation
 Awaiting or undergoing trial
 Awaiting final judgment

JUDGMENT BECOMES FINAL:

 After lapse of the period of perfecting an appeal
 Sentence has been partially or fully satisfied or served
 Accused expressly waived in writing his right to appeal
 Accused filed for probation
LEGAL GROUNDS FOR DETAINING A PERSON
 Commission of crime
 Violent insanity or ailment requiring compulsory confinement in hospital
THE SEVEN OPERATING CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES IN THE PHILIPPINES
1. BILIBID PRISON
a. BILIBID PRISON – the main insular penitentiary during the Spanish regime. This was constructed in
1847 and was formally inaugurated in 1865 by virtue of the Royal Decree of the Spanish Crown. This is
located at the then famous “May Haligue Estate” at nearby Central Market. This was constructed in
radical spokes-of-a-wheel form with a tower in the center spoke for easy command and control. In 1936,
the City of Manila exchanged its Muntinlupa property with that of the Bureau of Prison lot, the
Muntinlupa property was intended as a site for Boys Training School, but because it was too far, the City
preferred the site of the Old Bilibid Prison, the present site of Manila City Jail.

b. NEW BILIBID PRISON, Muntinlupa City (Approximately 552 hectares) – this is where the Bureau of
Corrections Central Office. Within the complex are the three (3) security camps administered by a Penal
Superintendent and assisted by as Asst. Superintendent in each Camp. The thee (3) security camps are:
 MAXIMUM SECURITY COMPOUND is for prisoners whose sentences are 20 years and
above, life termers or those under capital punishment, those with pending cases, those under
disciplinary punishment, those whose cases are on appeal, those under detention, and those
that do not fall under medium and minimum security status.
  MEDIUM SECURITY COMPOUND (also known as Camp Sampaguita) is for prisoners
whose sentences are below 20 years (computed from the minimum sentences per
classification interpretation) and those classified for colony assignment.
 MINIMUM SECURITY COMPOUND (also referred to as Camp Bukang Liwayway) is
an open camp with less restrictions and regimentation. This is for prisoners who are 65 years
old and above, medically certified as invalids and for those prisoners who have six months or
less to serve before they are released from prison.
 the lethal injection chamber is also located here.
2. SAN RAMON PRISON AND PENAL FARM, Zamboanga del Sur – founded by Capt. Ramon Blanco, a
member of the Spanish Royal Army and named the prison facility after his patron saint. This was initially
intended for the confinement of political prisoners during Spanish era. It was closed during the Spanish-American
War and was reopened during the American occupation. It has three facilities (maximum, medium, minimum).
The penal farm was designed to promote agro-industrial activities.
Land area: Approximately 1, 546 hectares
Principal product: Copra, rice, coffee, etc.
Year established: 1869 – 1870
3. IWAHIG PRISON AND PENAL FARM, Palawan
- envisioned as an institution for incorrigible criminals, however, the first contingent of prisoners to be
confined revolted against the authorities.
- On November1, 1905 under the Reorganization Act 1407, the policy was changed, instead of putting
hardened criminals, well behaved and obedient inmates were sent to the colony
- The farm is predominantly designed for agro-industrial activities. Within its area are four (4) sub-colonies:
1. Central sub-colony
2. Sta. Lucia sub-colony
3. Montible subcolony
4. Inagawan sub-colony
- All these colonies are administered by a Penal Supervisor
- It administers the Tagumpay Settlement, which is approximately 1, 000 hectares, with six hectares
homestead lots distributed to inmates who desired to live in the settlement after service of sentence.
- One of the best open institutions in the world.
Date established: Nov. 16, 1904
By virtue of: Reorganization Act of 1407
Land area: Approximately 36, 000 hectares
Principal product: rice, corn, copra and other forest product
4. CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION FOR WOMEN, Mandaluyong City
- The only female institution in the Philippines
- Since 1934, a female Superintendent was assigned to supervise the prison facility.
Year established: 1931
By virtue of: Act 3579 which was passed on Nov. 27, 1929
Vocational activities: Dress making, beauty culture, handicrafts
5. LEYTE REGIONAL PRISON, Abuyog, Leyte
Date established: Jan. 16, 1973
- It is a prison facility, which has a receiving and process station.
- It has three security facilities – maximum, medium, minimum
- Because of its terrain, prison agro-industrial activities could not be fully developed.
6. SABLAYAN PRISON AND PENAL FARM, Sablayan, San Jose, Mindoro Occidental
- With four sub-colonies within the prison compound:
1. Central sub-colony
2. Pusog sub-clony
3. Pasugui sub-colony
4. Yapag sub-colony
- This penal farm is intended for agro-industrial activities
Land area: Approximately 16, 408.5 hectares
By virtue of: Proclamation no. 72
Date established: Sept. 27, 1954
Principal product: Rice
7. DAVAO PRISON AND PENAL FARM, Tagum, Davao del Norte
- With two sub-colonies:
1. Panabo sub-colony
2. Kapalong sub-colony
- Administer the Tanglaw Settlement for those inmates who desire to live within the compound