Correctional Administration (Institutional Correction)

Basic Terms to Remember: Penology The study of punishment for crime or of crime
offenders, it includes the study of control and prevention of crime through punishment
of criminal offenders.

The term is derived from the Latin word “POENA” which means pain or suffering.
Penology is otherwise known as Penal Science. It is actually a division of
Criminology that deals with prison management and the treatment of offenders, and
concerned itself with the philosophy and practice of society in its effort to repress
criminal activities.

Penology has stood in the past and, for the most part, still stands for the policy of
inflicting punishment on the offender as a consequence of his wrong doing.

Penal Management This refers to the manner or practice of managing or controlling

places of confinement as in jails or prisons.

Correction A branch of the Criminal Justice System concerned with the custody,
supervision, and rehabilitation of criminal offenders.It is that field of Criminal Justice
Administration which utilizes the body of knowledge and practices of the government
and the society in general involving the processes of handling individuals who have
been convicted of offenses for purposes of crime prevention and control. It is the
study of jail/prison management and administration as well as the rehabilitation and
reformation of criminals. It is a generic term that includes all government agencies,
facilities, programs, procedures, personnel, and techniques concerned with the
investigation, intake, custody, confinement, supervision, or treatment of alleged
offenders.

Correction as a Process:
This refers to the reorientation of the criminal offender to prevent him or her from
repeating his deviant or delinquent actions without the necessity of individual
measures of reformation.

INSTITUTIONAL The reformation and rehabilitation of criminal offenders are held

inside a correctional institution or penal establishment. In BJMP, DSWD, BUCOR,
Jails, and Prisons.

NON-INSTITUTIONAL The reformation and rehabilitation of criminal offenders are

provided in community / outside prison BJMP, DSWD, BUCOR, Jails, and Prisons
Parole, Probation, Executive Clemencies .

Correctional Administration The study and practice of a systematic management of

jails or prisons and other institutions concerned with the custody, treatment, and
rehabilitation of criminal offenders.

BLUE-FLU – the practice of uniformed personnel of taking sick leave EN MASSE to

back-up their demands for improved working conditions, salary increments, and other
items on their agenda.
COMPETENT AUTHORITY – refers to the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals,
Regional Trial Court, Metropolitan Trial Court, Municipal Trial Court, Municipal
Circuit Trial Courts, 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.

CLASSIFICATION – refers to the assigning or grouping on inmates according to

their sentence, gender, age, nationality, health, criminal record, 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. Also known as DIVERSIFICATION

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.

Types of Contraband:
1. Illegal Contraband – prohibited by law

2. Nuisance Contraband – prohibited only by jail rules

COED INSTITUTION – or co-correctional institution which holds 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.

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

DETERRENCE – a crime-control strategy that uses punishment to prevent others

from committing similar crimes.

DIVERSIFICATION – administrative device correctional institutions of providing

varied and flexible types of physical plants for more effective control of treatment
programs of its diversified population.

DEINSTITUTIONALIZATION – a crime strategy that focuses on keeping the

offenders in the community rather than placing them in long-term institution.

DETERMINATE SENTENCE – a fixed period incarceration imposed on the offender

by the court.
ESCAPE – an act of getting out unlawfully from confinement or custody by an
inmate. – Evasion of service of sentence (Art. 157, RPC) – Is derived from the Greek
word ESCAPIO and from the Latin word ESCAPIUM which means by chance or
accident.

EXPUNGEMENT – the process by which the record of crime conviction is destroyed

or sealed after expiration on statutory required time.

FURLOUGH – authorization that permits inmate to leave confinement, for

emergency family crises, usually accompanied by correctional officer. Crises include
“Death Bed”

Rules on Furlough
Not more than 30 km radius from the prison facility 
More than 30 km but you can return in daylight time 
Duration is for 3 hours only 
Cannot join any funeral procession 
Request at least 3 days before the day of visit 
Approved by the trial court
Inmates confined in maximum security prison compound are disqualified to avail the
privilege of furlough

HALFWAY HOUSES – are non-confining residential facilities for adjudicated adults

or juvenile or those subjects to proceedings. They are alternative to containment for
person not suited for probation that need period for readjustment to the community
after imprisonment

Types of Halfway Houses:

1. Halfway Out – prerelease facility used to orient the prisoner before release for
adjustment purposes in coping in the outside. a. Pre-Release – place for parole eligible
b. Parolees – granted parole but needs assistance in coping outside

2. Halfway In – consisting of prisoners who are half way in prison includes: a.

Probation Violators b. Parole Violators NOTE: Halfway Houses in NBP are joint
project of Asia Crime Prevention Foundation, Nagoya Japan West Club and UNAFEI,
from Japanese end, and the Asia Crime Prevention Inc., DOJ, NAPOLCOM,
Muntinlupa Lions Club, and other NGO’s on the side of the Philippines.

INDETERMINATE SENTENCE – sets minimum and maximum period of

incarceration.

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

JAILBREAK – the escape from jail by more than two inmates by the use of force,
threat, violence, deceit or by breaching security barriers such as by scaling the
perimeter fence, by tunneling and/or by other similar means or by burning or
destructing of the facility with or without the aid or jail officer or any other person.
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.

OPERATION GREYHOUND – a surprise and unannounced invasion of a cell inside

a prison facility conducted by uniformed personnel of the prison establishment to
search for any type of contraband.

PENANCE – an ecclesiastical punishment inflicted by an ecclesiastical court for

some spiritual offense.

PENITENTIARY – a prison, correctional institution, or other place of confinement

where convicted felons are sent to serve out the term of their sentence.

PRISON RECORD – refers to information containing an inmate’s personal

circumstances, the offense he committed, the sentence imposed, the criminal case
numbers in 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 convictions, if any, and his behavior and
conduct while in prison.

PROSELYTIZING – coercing an inmate to change and practice other religion

PRISONIZATION – process by which an inmate learns through socialization; the

rules and regulation of the penitentiary culture.

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.

WEEK-END CONFINEMENT / DELAYED SENTENCE – offender is allowed to

retain current employment and permit sentences to be served during weekends.

Historical Perspective on Corrections Important Dates and Events in the History of

Corrections:

13th Century – Securing Sanctuary – In 13th Century, a criminal could avoid

punishment by claiming refugee in a church for a period of 40 days at the end of
which time, he has compelled to leave the realm by a road or path assigned to him.

Benefit of the Clergy – In 13th Century, a compromise between the church and the
king, wherein any member of the clergy brought to trial in the king’s court shall be
claimed from the jurisdiction by the bishop or chaplain representing him and placed
under the authority of the ecclesiastical court. –

It was provided for the clergies in Europe during the 12th Century by giving them
exemption for criminal punishment –
1468 (England) – torture as a form of punishment became prevalent. –

16th Century – transportation of criminals in England was authorized. At the end of

the 16th Century, Russia and other European Countries followed this system. It
partially relieved overcrowding of prisons. Transportation was abandoned in 1835. –

Piracy act of 1717 – was an act of the parliament of Great Britain that established a 7
years penal transportation to North America as a possible punishment for those
convicted of lesser felonies. –

17th Century to late 18th Century – Death penalty became prevalent as a form of
punishment.

Gaols – (Jail) pretrial detention facilities operated by English Sheriff.

Galleys – long, low, narrow, single decked ships propelled by sails, usually rowed by
criminals. A type of ship used for transportation of criminals in the 16th century.

Hulks – decrepit transport, former warships used to house prisoners in the 18th and
19th century. These were abandoned warships converted into prisons as means of
relieving congestion of prisoners. They were also called “Floating Hells”

Gulags – 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, the tribe’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 Gulag.

Gulag of Germany – this is infamous Gulag Prison of Aleksandi Solzhenitsyn in

Germany, where thousands of dews were man- slaughtered during the reign of Acolph
Hitler.

Gulag of Russia – this is synonymous for corrective labor camp penal institution
establisghed in 1918 after the Russian Revolution. It was the most feared prison
during the reign of Joseph Stalin on 1934 to 1947.

Penological Theories:

The first attempt to explain crime was made by the Athenian Philosopher, Aristotle.
In his book “Nicomedean Ethics”, he discusses corrective justice, thus – “punishment
is a means of restoring the balance between pleasure and pain”

The Emergence of Secular Law

4th A.D. – secular laws were advocated by Christian Philosopher who recognizes the
need for justice. Some of the proponents these laws were St. Augustine and St.
Thosmas Aquinas.
Laws were distinguished: 
External Law (Lex Externa) 
Lex Divina (Divine Law) 
Natural Law (Lex Naturalis) 
Human Law (Lex Humana)

All these laws are intended for the common good, but the Human Law became valid if
it does not conflict with the other two laws.

The Judean – Christian Theory Following the Secular Theory of punishment was the
Judean or Christian Theory, which was at its fullest development during the death of
Christ in 30 A.D. this theory of expiation believes that punishment has a redemptive
purpose of repelling sin advocated by the devil.

The Primary Schools of Penology:

1. The Classical School – it maintains the “Doctrine of Psychological Hedonism” or

“Free Will”. The individual calculates pleasure and pain in advance of action and
regulates his conduct by the result of his calculations. Basis of Criminal Liability –
absolute human free will

2. The Neo-Classical School – it maintained that while the classical doctrine is correct
in general, it should be modified in certain details. Since children and lunatics cannot
calculate the differences of pleasures form pain, they should not be regarded as
criminals; hence they should be free from punishment. Result of the Neo-Classical
Theory:  Exempting circumstances admitted  Reduction of punishment for partial
freedom of the will – only partial responsibility  Punishment was mitigated for lack
of full responsibility  It represented the reaction against the seventy of the classical
theory of equal punishment irrespective of circumstances

3. The Positivist / Italian School – the school that denied individual responsibility and
reflected non-punitive reactions to crime and criminality. It adheres that crime, as any
other act, is a natural phenomenon. Criminals are considered as sick individuals who
need to be treated by treatment programs rather than punitive actions against them. 
Treats criminals as sick individuals  Purpose of punishment is treatment and
rehabilitation

4. Eclectic – it means selecting the best of various styles or ideas, also known as
Mixed Theory.

Redress (Compensation) of a Wrong Act

Retaliation (Personal Vengeance) – the earliest remedy for a wrong act to anyone in
the Primitive Society, the concept of personal revenge by the victim’s family or tribe
against the family or tribe of the offender, hence “Blood Feuds” was accepted in the
early primitive societies.

Fines and Punishment – customs has exerted effort and great force among primitive
societies. The acceptance of vengeance in the form of payment (cattle, food, personal
services, etc) became accepted as dictated by tribal traditions. As tribal leaders, elders
and later kings came into power, they begun to exert their authority on the
negotiations. Wrongdoers could choose to stay away from the proceedings (Trial by
Ordeal) but if they refuse to abide by the law imposed, they will be declared to be an
outlaw.

Early Codes:

1. Babylonian and Sumerian Codes a. Code of King Hammurabi (Hammurabic Code)

– Babylon, about 1990 B.C. credited as the oldest code prescribing savage
punishment, but in fact Sumerian Codes (Code of King Ur-Nammu) were nearly on
hundred years older.
– Applied the Doctrine of Lex Taliones (Law of Retaliation) – Believed in the
philosophy of Tit for Tat

2. Roman and Greek Codes

a. Justinian Code – 6th Century A.D. Emperor Justinian of Rome wrote his code of
law. An effort to match a desirable amount of punishment to all possible crimes.
However, the law did not survive due to the fall of the Roman Empire but left a
foundation of Western Legal Codes. 

The Twelve Tables (XII Tabulae), (451-450 BC) – represented the earliest
codification of Roman law incorporated into the Justinian Code. It is the foundation of
all public and private law of the Romans until the time of Justinian. It is also a
collection of legal principles engraved on the tablets and set up on the forum.

b. Greek Code of Draco – in Greece, the Code of Draco, a harsh code that provides
the same punishment for both citizens and the slaves as it incorporates primitive
concepts (Vengeance, Blood Feuds)  The Greeks were the first society to allow any
citizen too prosecutes the offender in the name of the injured party.

3. The Burgundian Code (500 A.D.) – specified punishment according to the social
class of offender, dividing them into: nobles, middle class, and lower class and
specifying the value of the life of each person according to social status.

Early Codes (Philippine Setting)

The Spanish Civil Code became effective in the Philippines on December 7, 1889, the
“Conquistadores” and the “Kodigo Penal” (The Revised Penal Code today, 1930) was
introduced by the Spaniards promulgated by the King of Spain. Basically, these laws
adopted the Roman Law principles (Coquia, Principles of Roman Law 1996).
Sometimes called as “Ley Engiciamiento Criminal” Mostly tribal traditions, customs
and practices influenced laws during the Pre-Spanish Philippines.

There are also laws that were written which include:

a. The Code of Kalantiao (promulgated in 1433) – by Datu Kalantiao of Panay. The

most extensive and severe law that prescribes harsh punishment in Aklan and Panay
Islands.
b. The Maragtas Code (by Datu Sumakwel of Ilo-Ilo)
c. Sikatuna Law (Bohol)

Early Prison:

1. Mamertine Prison / Carcere Mamertino – the only early Roman place of

confinement which is built under the main sewer of Rome in 64 B.C.

Other places of confinement in the history of confinement include:

FORTRESSES, CASTLES, and TOWN GATES that were strongly built purposely
against roving bands of raiders.

2. Bridewell Workhouse – the most popular workhouse in London which was built for
the employment and housing of English prisoners. It was named after St. Bridget Well
(1557).

3. Wulnut Street Jail – originally constructed as a detention jail in Philadelphia. It was

converted into a state prison and became the first American Penitentiary.

4. Ergastalum – it is an ancient prison wherein prisoners are attached to workbenches

and are forced to do hard labor in the period of their imprisonment.

5. Maine State Prison – a prison similar to the underground system in a long-ago

Rome.

6. Maison de Force (1627) – a house correction in Ghent, Belgium which separate

adult from juveniles and women from men, an innovation to prison system during the
1600’s, established by Dean Jaques Villian (Father of Penitentiary Science).

7. Sing-Sing Prison – inflicted aside from floggings denial of reading materials and
solitary confinement. The shower bath was a gadget so constructed as to drop a
volume of water on the head of a locked naked offender. The force of icy cold water
hitting the head of the offender which cause so much pain and extreme shock that
prisoners immediately sank into coma due to the shock and hypothermia or sudden
drop in body temperature.

8. Alcatraz (The Rock) – the prison is located on an island in San Francisco Bay. It
was built for the military in 1850 and used by them as a fort and a prison until 1933
when it passed to the Department of Justice thru the recommendation of Director John
Edgar Hoover and became a civil prison until it was closed in 1963 thru the writing of
James Bennet. – The hardest prison in history where number one public enemies are
imprisoned like Al Capone.

Famous Escapees of Alcatraz (1962): 1. Frank Morris 2. Clarence and John Anglin –

Olin Guy Blackwell – last warden of the Alcatraz Prison

9. Devil’s island – French Penal colony from 1852 to 1959 where political prisoners
are exiled
10. Robben Island – a prison complex located at the coast of Capetown South Africa
ahich serve as a refugee camp for people afflicted with leper before converted into a
prison.

11. Port Arthur – located in Tasmania, Australia, a penal colony which is the hardest
English prisoner during the middle of the 19th Century.

12. New Gate Prison (Black Hole of Horrors)- not a real prison but an abnadoned
copper mine in Simsbury Connecticut. Inmates were confined underground.

Early Prisons in the Philippines:

During the Pre-Spanish period, prison system in the Philippines was tribal in nature.
Village chieftains administered it. It was historically traced from the early written
laws.

Established in 1847 pursuant to Section 1708 of the Revised Administrative code and
formally opened by Royal Decree in 1865, the first Bilibid Prison was constructed and
became the central place of confinement for Filipino Prisoners by virtue of the Royal
Decree of the Spanish Crown.

In 1936, the city of Manila exchanges its Muntinlupa property with the Bureau of
Prisons originally intended as a site for boys’ training school. Today, the old Bilibid
Prison is now being used as the Manila City Jail famous as the “May Haligue Estate”

Penalty and the Modern Period of Correction

Penalty is defined as the suffering inflicted by the state against an offending member
for the transgression of law.

It is the redress (compensation) that the state takes against an offending member of
society that usually involves pain and suffering. 

It is also the penalty imposed on an offender for crime or wrongdoing. 

The authoritative imposition of something negative on unpleasant on a person in

response to behavior deemed wrong by law.

Ancient Forms of Punishment:

1. Death Penalty / Capital Punishment – affected by burning, beheading, breaking at

the wheels, pillory, and other forms of medieval executions. Death Convicts refers to
an inmate death penalty / sentence imposed by the Regional Trial Court is affirmed by
the Supreme Court.

2. Physical Torture / Corporal Punishment – affected by maiming, mutilation,

whipping and other inhuman or barbaric forms of inflicting pain. The infliction of
physical pain as a form of punishment.
3. Social Degradation – putting the offender into shame or humiliation.

4. Banishment or Exile / Ostracism / Outlawry – sending or putting of an offender

which carried out either by prohibition against coming into a specified territory such
as an island to where the offender has been removed. Presently known as “Destierro”

Methods of Death Penalty Executed in the Philippines

1. Garrote – this became popular when three Friar’s Priest commonly addressed as
GOMBURZA, were executed in 1872 by the Spanish colonial rulers for exposing the
venalities of the church. – An iron collar attached upon 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 is pronounced dead. – This method of execution was abolished in the
Philippines by virtue of Act 451.

2. Musketry / Firing Squad – 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 / Decapitation – apprehended guerillas were beheaded by Samurai

Sword at the Japanese Kempetei Garrison in 1943. – 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 whispered in China and Muslim
States.

4. Hanging – the famous tiger of Malaysia, Yamashita died of hanging from 13th
footstep platform in 1946. – 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 convicts to ensure that he/she will die quickly. Then the rope will be placed
around the neck or the convict, and finally, the platform will be removed.

5. Electric Hair / Silia Electrica – the Muntinlupa Electric, which was originally used
way back 1926, is chair has claimed more than seventy offenders convicted of capital
offenses since its installation four decades ago. – 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 pass the body until the convict dies. If ever the convict is still alive, the lever
shall be pulled again until he is pronounced dead.

6. Lethal Injection / Intravenous Poisoning – 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. – Developed in
1924 by an anesthesiologist in Nevada. Components of chemicals used in Lethal
Injection are:  Sodium Thiopental – a sleep inducing barbiturate used in surgery to
put the patient asleep.  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.
Other Forms of Execution

1. Stoning to Death – a form of execution wherein the condemned person is pelted

with stones.

2. Crucifixion – a person convicted to death was nailed on the cross with both hands
andd 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.

3. Burning at Stake – form of execution wherein the convict ids tied in pole and then
set on fire alive.

3. 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.

4. Pillory is a wooden frame with three 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
platform 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.

5. Flagellation – an x-designed log was 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. Impalement – (Impaling) a form of capital punishment, it is the penetration of an

organism by an object such as a stake, pole, spear, or hook, by complete (or partial)
perforation of the body, often the central body mass. Killing by piercing the body with
a spear or sharp pole.

Early forms of Prison Discipline

1. Hard Labor – productive works

2. Deprivation – deprivation of everything except the bare essentials of existence
3. Monotony – giving the same food that is “off” diet, or requiring the prisoners to
perform drab or boring daily routine.
4. Uniformity – “We treat the Prisoners Alike”, “The fault of one is the fault of all”
5. Mass Movement – mass living in cell blocks, mass eating, mass recreation, mass
bathing.
6. Degradation – uttering insulting words or languages on the part of prison staff to
the prisoners to degrade or break the confidence of prisoners.
7. Corporal Punishment – imposing brutal punishment or employing physical force to
intimidate a delinquent inmate.
8. Isolation or Solitary Confinement / Bartolina – non- communication, limited news,
“the lone wolf”
i. BJMP = 1 to 7 days ii.
ii. BUCOR = 1 month to 2 months
iii. UN RULES = 22 hours to 15 days

Contemporary Forms of Punishment:

A. Imprisonment / Isolation / Incarceration / Commitment / Incapacitation – putting
the offender in prison for the purpose of protecting the public against criminal
activities and at the same time rehabilitating the prisoners by requiring then to
undergo institutional treatment programs.

Duration of Penalties:
1. Death Penalty – Capital Punishment
2. Life Imprisonment – Life time imprisonment for SPL
3. Reclusion Perpetua – 20 years and 1 day up to 40 years
4. Reclusion Temporal – 12 years and 1 day up to 20 years
5. Prision Mayor – 6 years and 1 day up to 12 years
6. Prision Correctional – 6 months and 1 day up to 6 years
7. Arresto Mayor – 1 month and 1 day up to 6 months
8. Arresto Menor – 1 day to 30 days
9. Bond to keep the Peace – discretional on the part of the court.

B. Parole – a conditional release of prisoners after serving part of his/her sentence in

prison for the purpose of gradually re- introducing him/her to free life under the
guidance and supervision of a parole officer.
C. Probation – a disposition whereby a defendant after conviction of an offense, the
penalty of which does not exceed six years imprisonment, is released subject to the
conditions imposed by the releasing court and under the supervision of a probation
officer.
D. Fine – a pecuniary amount given as a compensation for criminal act.
E. Destierro – the penalty of banishing a person from the place where he committed a
crime, prohibiting him to get near or enter the 25-km perimeter.

Purposes/Justifications of Punishment
1. Retribution (Personal Vengeance/Revenge) – the punishment should be provided
by the state whose sanction is violated, to afford the society or the individual the
opportunity of imposing upon the offender suitable punishment as might be enforced.
Offenders should be punished because they deserve it.
2. Expiation or Atonement – punishment in a form of group vengeance where the
purpose is to appease the offended public or group.
3. Deterrence – punishment gives lesson to the offender by showing to others what
would happen to them if they violate the law. Punishment is imposed to warn
potential offenders that they cannot afford to do what the offender has done.
4. Incapacitation and Protection – the public will be protected if the offender has
being held in conditions where he cannot harm others especially the public.
Punishment is effected by placing offenders in prison so that society will be ensured
from further criminal depredations of criminals.
5. Reformation or Rehabilitation – it is the establishment of the usefulness and
responsibility of the offender. Society’s interest can be better served by helping the
prisoner to become law abiding citizen and productive upon his return to the
community by requiring him to undergo intensive program of rehabilitation in prison.

The Age of Enlightenment / Age of Reason

18th Century is a century of change. It is the period of recognizing human dignity. It
is the movement of reformation, the period of introduction of certain reforms in the
correctional field by certain reforms in the correctional field by certain person,
gradually changing the old positive philosophy of punishment to a more humane
treatment of prisoners with innovational programs.

Juridical Conditions (Legal Requisites) of Penalty Punishment must be:

1. Productive of suffering – without however affecting the integrity of the human
personality.
2. Commensurate with the Offense – different crimes must be punished with different
penalties (Art. 25 RPC)
3. Personal – the guilty one must be the one to be punished, no proxy
4. Legal – the consequence must be in accordance with the law
5. Equal – equal for all persons
6. Certain – no one must escape its effect
7. Correctional – changes the attitude of offenders and became law-abiding citizens.

The Pioneers Correctional System

1. William Penn (1614-1718) – he fought for religious freedom and individual rights.
He is the first leader to prescribe imprisonment as correctional treatment for major
offenders. He is also responsible for the abolition of death penalty and torture as a
form of punishment.
2. Charles Montesiquieu (Charles Louis Secondat Baron de la Brede et de
Montesiquieu) (1689-1755) – a French historian and philosopher who analyzed law as
an expression of justice. He believe that harsh punishment would undermine morality
and that appealing to moral sentiments as a better means of preventing crime.
3. Voltaire (Francois Marie Arouet) (1694-1778) – he was the most versatile of all
philosophers during this period. He believes that fear of shame was a deterrent to
crime. He fought the legality-sanctioned practice of torture.
4. Cesare Beccaria (Cesare Bonesa Marchese de Beccaria) (1738-1794) – he wrote an
essay entitled”An Essay on Crimes and Punishment”, the most exiting essay on law
during this century. It presented the humanistic goal of law. “Let the Punishment Fit
the Crime”.
5. Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) – the greatest leader in the reform of English
Criminal Law. He believes that whatever punishment designed to negate whatever
pleasure or gain the criminal derives from crime; the crime rate would go down. He
proposed the philosophy of Utilitarianism. He also advocated the imaginary
mathematical formula of Felicific Calculus. He is the one who devise the ultimate
Panopticon Prison. 

Panopticon Prison – a prison that consists of a large circular building containing multi
cells around the periphery. It was never built. - Panopticon – to see everything or to
observe
6. John Howard (1726-1790) – the sheriff of Bedsfordshire in 1773 who devoted his
life and fortune to prison reform. He is the Father of Prison Reform in the World,
Great Prison reformer, A Philanthropist and the first English Prison Reformer. After
his findings on English Prisons, he recommended the following:
Single Cells for Sleeping , Segregation of Women , Segregation of Youth 
Provision of Sanitation Facilities  Abolition of Fee System by which jailers obtained
money from prisoners.
6. Elam Lynds – warden of the Auburn and later of Sing-Sing (which he built), was
one of the most influential persons in the development of early prison discipline in
America. He is described as having been a strict disciplinarian who believes that all
convicts were cowards who could not be reformed until their spirit was broken. To
this end he devised a system of brutal punishments and degrading procedures, many
of which remained as accepted practice until very recent times.
7. Jean Jacques Villain – Father of Penitentiary Science. He pioneered classification
to separate women and children from hardened criminals.
8. James V. Bennett – Director of Federal Bureau of Prisons. He wrote about the
closing of Alcatraz Prison and built the Federal Correctional Institution in Seagoville
Texas.
9. Elizabeth Fry – An English reformer sometimes referred to as the “Angel of
Prison” because of her driving force behind new legislation to treat prisoners
humanely.

The Reformatory Movement

1. Alexander Mocanochie – He is the Superintendent of the Penal Colony at Norfolk
Island in Australia (1840) who introduce the “Mark System”. A system in which a
prisoner os required to earn a number of marks based on proper department, labor,
and study in order to entitle him for a ticket for leave or conditional release which is
similar to parole. He is the Father of Parole in Australia.
2. Manuel Montesimos – the Director of Prisons in Valencia Spain (1835) who
divided the number of prisoners into companies and appointed certain prisoners as
petty officers in-charge, which allowed good behavior to prepare the convict for
gradual release.
3. Domets of France / Frederick August Demets – established an agricultural colony
for delinquent boys in 1839 providing housefathers as in charge of these boys. The
boys were housed in cottages with house fathers as in charge. The system was based
on re-education rather than force. When discharge the boys were place under the
supervision of a patron.
4. Sir Evelyn Ruggles Brise – the Director of the English Prison who opened the
Borstal Institution for young offenders, the Borstal Institution is considered as the
reform institution for young offenders today.  Borstal Reformatory – the first
juvenile reformatory in England. The Borstal Institution of England is today
considered best reform institution for young offenders.  New York House of Refuge
– the first juvenile reformatory in USA
5. Walter Crofton – he is the Director of the Irish Prison in 1854 who introduced the
Irish system that was modified from Mocanochie’s Mark System.  Progressive Mark
System  Irish System  Father of Parole in Ireland
Four Stages of Irish System:
I. The first stage of the Irish System was Solitary Confinement for nine months at a
certain prison.
II. The second stage was an Assignment to the Public Works at Spike Island. The
prisoner worked his promotion through a series of the grades, according to a mark
system.
III. The third stage, the prisoner without custodial supervision and was expose to
ordinary temptations of freedom.
IV. The final stage was the release on supervision under conditions equivalent to
present day parole.
5. Zebulon Brockway – the Director of the Elmira reformatory in New York (1876)
who introduced certain innovational programs like the following:  Training School
Type  Compulsory Education of Prisoners  Casework Methods  Extensive Use
of Parole  Indeterminate Sentence 
The Elmira Reformatory (The Hill) is considered forerunner of modern penology
because it had all the elements of a modern system. Extensively used non-institutional
correction. A new institutional program for boys from 16 to 30 years of age.

GOLDEN AGE OF PENOLOGY (1870-1880) Events:

1. The National Prison Association, now American Correctional Association was

organized and its first annual Congress was held in Cincinati, Ohio.
2. The first International Prison Congress was held in London. Representative of the
government of the United States and European Countries attended it. As a result of
this Congress, the International Penal and Penitentiary Commission, an inter-
governmental organization was established in 1875 with headquarters at The Hague.
3. The Elmira Reformatory a training school type of institutional program, social
casework in the institution, and extensive of parole. The first separate institution for
women was established in Indiana and Massachusettes.

Two Rival Prison Systems in the History of Correction

1. Auburn Prison System – the prison system called the “Congregate System” / Group
System. The prisoners are confined in their own cells during the night and congregate
work in shops during the day. Complete silence was enforced.  Hard Wood Shops –
place where prisoners do their labor

2. Pennsylvania Prison System – the prison system called “Solitary System” / Silent
System / Separate System. Prisoners are confined in single cells day and night where
they lived, they slept, and they ate, and receive religious instructions. Complete
silence was also enforced. They are required to read the Bible. – In 1934, the League
of Nations adopted the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners,
drafted by the IPCC. The League requested all governments to give the greatest
possible publicity to the Rules; to take the necessary measures in order that they might
be observed; and to submit regular reports regarding their application and regarding
the prison reforms achieved in the respective countries.
Prison
A Penitentiary, an institution for the imprisonment (incarceration) of persons
convicted of major/serious crimes.

A building, usually with cells, or other places established for the purpose of taking
safe custody or confinement of criminals.

A place of confinement for those charged with or convicted of offenses against the
laws of the land. 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 Correction Institution for Women, Leyte Regional Prison, and
the Davao, San Ramon, Sablayan, and Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm.

Who are a Prisoner / Inmate? Prisoner A prisoner is a person who is under the custody
of lawful authority.

A person, who by a decision issued by a court, may be deprived of his liberty or

freedom. A prisoner is any person detained/confined in jail or prison for the
commission of a criminal offense or convicted and serving in a penal institution. A
person committed to jail or prison by a competent authority for any of the following
reasons:  To serve a sentence after conviction , Trial , Investigation .

Inmate

(Brief Definition) either a prisoner or detainee confined in jail. (As defined in the
Bureau of Corrections Operating Manual) refers to a national prisoner or one
sentenced by the court to serve a maximum term of imprisonment or more than three
years or to a fine of more than one thousand pesos 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 of enforceable by it, or
violation of immigration and election laws; or to one sentenced to serve two or more
prison sentences in the aggregate exceeding the period of three 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”

Person Deprived of Liberty Refers to a detainee, inmate, or prisoner, or other person

under confinement or custody in any other manner. However, in order to prevent
labeling, branding, or shaming by the use of these or other derogatory words, the term
“prisoner” has been replaced by this new and neutral phrase.

General Classification of Prisoners

1. Detention Prisoners – those detained for investigation, preliminary hearing, or

awaiting trial. A detainee in a lock up jail. They are prisoners under the jurisdiction of
courts. – Also known as “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.

2. Sentenced Prisoners – offenders who are committed to the jail or prison in order to
serve their sentence after final conviction by a competent court. They are prisoners
under the jurisdiction of penal institutions.

3. Prisoners who are on Safekeeping – includes non-criminal offenders who are

detained in order to protect the community against their harmful behavior. Examples:
Mentally deranged individuals  Insane person

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.

Classification of Sentenced Prisoners

1. Insular or National Prisoners – those sentenced to suffer a term of sentence of three

years and one day to life imprisonment. Those sentenced to suffer a term of
imprisonment cited above but appealed the judgment and unable to file a bond their
temporary liberty.

2. Provincial Prisoners – those sentenced to suffer a term of imprisonment from six

months and one day to three years or a fine not more than one thousand pesos or both.
Those detained therein waiting for preliminary investigation of their cases cognizable
by the RTC.

NOTA BENE:
Provincial Jail (1910) – under the office of the Governor. Where the imposable
penalty for the crime committed is more than six months but not more than three
years and the same was committed within the municipality, the offender must serve
his or her sentence in the Provincial Jail. Where the penalty exceeds three years, the
offender shall serve his or her sentence in the penal institutions of the Bureau of
Corrections.

3. City Prisoners – those sentenced to suffer a term of imprisonment from one day to
three years or a fine of not more than one thousand pesos or both. Those detained
therein whose cases are filed the MTC. Those detained therein whose cases are
cognizable by the RTC and under Preliminary Investigation. Those ‘confined in
Municipal Jails to serve an imprisonment from one day to six months. Those detained
therein whose trials of their cases are pending with the MTC.

Classification of Prisoners According to Degree of Security

1. Super Maximum Security Prisoners (inapplicable to the Philippine Setting) – a
special group of prisoners composed of incorrigible, intractable, and highly dangerous
persons who are the source of the constant disturbances even in maximum security
prison. They wear orange color of uniform.
2. Maximum Security Prisoner – the group of prisoners whose escape could be
dangerous to the public or to the security of the state. – It consists of constant
troublemakers but not as dangerous as the super maximum security prisoners. Their
movements are restricted and they are not allowed to work outside the institution but
rather assigned to industrial shops with in the prison compound. – They are confined
at the maximum security prison (NBP Main Building); they wear orange color of
uniform. – Prisoners includes those sentenced to serve sentence twenty years or more,
or those whose sentenced are under the review of the Supreme Court, and offenders
who are criminally insane, having severe personality, or emotional disorders that
make them dangerous to fellow offenders of staff members.
3. Medium Security Prisoners – those who cannot be trusted in open conditions and
pose lesser danger than maximum security prisoners in case they escape. – It consists
of groups of prisoners who may be allowed to work outside the fence or walls of the
penal institution under guards or with escorts. – They occupy the medium security
prison (Camp Sampaguita) and they wear blue color of uniform. Generally, they are
employed as agricultural workers. – It includes prisoners whose minimum sentence is
less than twenty years and life sentenced prisoners who served at least ten years inside
a maximum security prison.
4. Minimum Security Prisoners – a group of prisoners who can reasonably trusted to
serve sentence under “open conditions”
– This group includes prisoners who can be trusted to report to their assignments
without the presence of guards. – They occupy the minimum security prison (Camp
Bukang Liwayway) and wear brown color uniform.

Classification of Inmates as to Privileges

1. 3rd Class – committed for three or more time as sentenced prisoner.
2. 2nd Class – newly arrived inmate, demoted from 1st class or promoted from 3rd
class.
3. 1st Class – known for character and credit for work while in detention or one
promoted from 2nd class.
4. Colonist – after one year, after being promoted from 1st class who served with
good conduct the 1/5 of his maximum sentence or served 7 years of his life sentence.
Privileges of a Colonist: 
Automatic commutation to thirty years of life imprisonment 
Deduction of five days / month 
Wear civilian clothes 
Can live with his family 
Subsidy from the Government 
Transportation allowance 
Use of Prison Facilities

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.
The Philippine Prison System The Philippine prison system is patterned after the
Federal Bureau of Prisons of the United States. It is a Bureau within the Department
of Justice.

Bureau of Corrections Bureau of Prisons was created under the Reorganization Act of
1905 (Act No. 1407 dated November 1, 1905) as an agency under the Department of
Commerce and Police.
Bureau of Prisons was renamed Bureau of Corrections under Executive Order 292
(Administrative Code) passed during the Cory Aquino Administration; States that the
head of the Bureau of Corrections is the Director of Prisons who is appointed by the
President of the Philippines with the Commission of Appointments. 

RA 10575 – also known as the “Act of Strengthening the Bureau of Corrections and
Providing Funds Therefore” also known as the BUCOR Law of 2013. The Bureau of
Corrections has general supervision and control of all seven national / insular prisons /
penitentiaries. It is charged with the safekeeping of all Insular Prisoners confined
therein or committed to the custody of the Bureau. 

BP 28 – law that change the name penal colony to penal farm. The Seven Operating
Correctional Facilities in the Philippines Prior to the establishment of Bilibid Prison,
prisoners were confined in jails under the jurisdiction of Commandancias where law
enforcement units were stationed. Commandancias were established in practically
every province of the country.

1. Bilibid Prisons a. Old Bilibid Prison (Carcel y Presidio Correctional) – 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 Azcaraga St. (now Recto Avenue) then famous “May Halique
Estate” at nearby Central Market at Oroquieta St. This was constructed in radical
spokes-of-a-wheel from with tower in the center spoke for easy command and control.

Composed of Two Compounds: 

Carcel – 600 Inmate Capacity 
Presidio – 527 Inmate Capacity

Commonwealth Act No. 67 was enacted, appropriating one million pesos for the
construction of a new National Prison in the Southern suburb of Muntinlupa, Rizal in
1935. The old prison was transformed into a receiving center and a storage facility for
farm produce from the colonies.

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 (BJMP)

B.New Bilibid Prison, Muntinlupa City (Approximately 552 Hectares) – this is where
the Bureau of Corrections Central Office. The New Bilibid Prison has a capacity of
3,000 Prisoners. Within the complex are the three security camps assisted by as
Assistant Superintendent in each Camp.

The Three Security Camps:

I. Maximum Security Compound (Main Building) – for prisoners whose sentence are
20 years and above, life termers of 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. – Wears tangerine shirt – Not allowed to do furlough – This type of institution
is characterized by thick all enclosure, 18 to 25 feet high. On top of the wall are
catwalks along which the guards patrol at night. At corners and strategic places are
tower posts manned by heavily armed guards.

II. Medium Security Compound (Camp Sampaguita) – for prisoners whose sentences
are below 20 years (computed from the minimum sentences per classification
interpretation) and those classified for colony assignment. – This type of institution is
usually enclosed by two layers of wire fence. The inner fence is 12 to 14 feet high
with curb and the outer fence is 8 to 12 feet high. The two fences are form 18 to 20
feet apart. Usually the top portion of the fence is provided with barbed wire.

III. Minimum Security Compound (Camp Bukang Liwayway) – 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.  This type of institution is
usually without a fence and if there is one, its purpose is to keep away the civilian
population from entering the institution rather than preventing escapes.

– The New Bilibid Prison specializes in the industrial type of vocational training. It
operates a furniture shop, shoe repairing shop, blacksmith and tinsmith shop, auto
mechanics and automobile body building shop, tailoring, electronics, watch-
repairing, carpentry, and rattan furniture shop. It is also engaged in track gardening,
poultry, piggery and animal husbandry.

2. San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm Founded by Captain Ramon Blanco in
Zamboanga del Sur, 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, and Minimum). The penal farm was designed to promote agro-
industrial activities.

On August 21, 1869, the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City were
established to confine Muslim rebels and recalcitrant political prisoners opposed to
the Spanish rule. The facility which faced the Jolo Sea had Spanish inspired
dormitories and was originally set on a 1,414 hectares sprawling estate. Land Area:
currently approximately 1,546 hectares Principal Product: Copra, Rice, Coffee Year
Established: 1869-1870 

2nd Oldest Prison after OBP  San Ramon has an average population of 1,200
prisoners

3. Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (Luhit), Puerto Prinsesa, Palawan The Americans
established in 1904 the Luhit Penal Settlement (now Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm)
on a vast reservation of 28,072 hectares. It would reach a total land area of 40,000
hectares in the late 1950. Located in the westernmost part of the archipelago far from
the main town to confine incorrigibles with little hope of rehabilitation, the area was
expanded to 41,007 hectares by virtue of Executive Order No. 67 issued by Governor
Newton Gilbert on October 15, 1912.

Envisioned by: Governor Luke E. Wright

Ordered by: Governor Forbes

Envisioned as an institution for incorrigible criminals, however, the first contingent of

prisoners to be confined revolted against the authorities. On November 1, 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 sub-colonies:

I. Central Sub-Colony
II. Sta. Lucia Sub-Colony
III. Montible Sub-Colony
IV. 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 institutions in the world.

Date established: November 16, 1905 By Virtue of: reorganization Act of 1407 Land
Area: Approximately 36,000 hectares – 41,007 (1912) Principal Products: Rice, Corn,
Copra and Other Forest Product 

Largest Penal Colony 

Prison Without Walls 
The Most Open Prison Facility 
The Best and The Finest Prison

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. Located at Welfare Ville Mandaluyong City Year

Established: 1931 By Virtue of: Act 3579 which was passed on November 27, 1929
Vocational Activities: Dress Making, Beauty Culture, Handicrafts
Capacity: 200

Trivia: First Women’s Prison – opened in Indiana 1873, based on the reformatory
model.

5. Leyte Regional Prison, Abuyog, Southern Leyte Date Established: January 16,
1973 Under Proclamation No. 1101 It is a prison facility, which has a receiving and
process station It has three security facilities (Maximum, Medium, and Minimum)
Because of its terrain, prison agro-industrial activities could not be fully developed.
Youngest Prison Built during Martial Law – Ferdinand Marcos
Fastest growing prison Max. Capacity – 500 prisoners

6. Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm, Sablayan, San Jose, Mindoro Occidental With
four Sub-Colonies within the prison compound:
I. Central Sub-Colony
II. Pusog Sub-Colony
III. Pasugui Sub-Colony
IV. 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: September 26, 1954
Principal Product: Rice
Nearest Penal Colony in Manila

7. Davao Prison and Penal Farm, Tagum, Davao del Norte The Davao Penal Colony
was established on January 21, 1932, in accordance with Act No. 3732 and
Problamation No. 414, series of 1931.

With two sub- colonies:

I. Panabo Sub-Colony
II. Kapalong Sub-Colony

Administer the Tanglaw Settlement for those inmates who desire to live within the
compound 30,000 hectares

First Headed by: General Paulino Santos Richest and Highest Income Earner Biggest
Banana and Abaca Plantation

Non-Operational Prisons in the Philippines

1. Fort Bonifacio A committee report submitted to then President Carlos P. Garcia

described Fort Bonifacio, formerly known as Fort William McKinley, as a military
reservation located in Taguig, which was established after Americans came to the
Philippines. The prison was originally used as a detention center for offenders of US
military laws and ordinances.

2. Corregidor Prison In 1908 during the American regime, some 100 prisoners were
transferred from the Old Bilibid Prison to Corregidor Island to work under military
authorities. This move was in accordance with an order from the Department of
Instructions, which approved the transfer of inmates so they could assist in
maintenance and other operations in the stockade.

3. Bontoc Prison The Philippine Legislature during the American regime passed Act
No. 1876 providing for the establishment of a prison in Bontoc in Mountain Province.
The prison was built for the prisoners of the province and insular prisoners who were
members of the Non-Christian Tribes of Mountain Province and Nueva Vizcaya.
Admission Procedures in Prison

1. Receiving – the new prisoner is received at the RDC. The new prisoner usually
comes from a provincial or city jail where he was immediately committed upon
conviction by the court, and escorted by the escort platoon during his transfer to the
National Prison.

2. Checking of Commitment Papers – the receiving officer checks the commitment

papers if they are in order. That is, if they contain the signature of the judge or the
signature of the clerk of court, and the seal of the court.

3. Identification / Booking – the Prisoner’s identity is established through the picture

and fingerprint appearing in the commitment order. This is to ensure that the person
being is the same as the person being named in the commitment order.

4. Searching /Shakedown – this step involves the frisking of the prisoner and
searching his personal things. Weapons and other items classified as contraband are
confiscated and deposited to the property custodian. Other properties are deposited
with the trust fund officer under recording and receipts.
a. Pat – patting of subjects clothing
b. Rub – patting of body over the clothing including the groin, buttocks, and breast
c. Strip – naked search
d. Body Cavity Search – expose body cavities like Anus and Vagina to look for
contrabands

5. Briefing and Orientation – the prisoner will be brief and oriented on the rules and
regulations of the prison before he will be assigned to the RDC of the Quarantine
Unit.

6. Issuance of Clothes and Equipment – from the receiving office, the new prisoner
goes to the supply room where he receives his prison uniform, mosquito net, and
beddings.

7. Assignment to Quarters – after the prisoner is issued his clothing’s and beddings,
he is sent to the quarantine unit. The quarantine may be a unit of the prison or a
secation of the Reception Center.

BUCOR’s Directorate for Reception and Diagnostics (Formerly Reception and

Diagnostic Center) – RA 10575 This is a special unit of prison (Camp Sampaguita)
where new prisoners undergo diagnostic examination, study and observation for the
purpose of determining the programs of treatment and training best suited to their
needs FOR A TOTAL PERIOD OF 60 DAYS and the institution to which they
should be transferred.

It is composed of the following staff members:

1. Psychiatrist – responsible in the examination of the prisoner’s mental and
emotional make-up.
2. Psychologist – responsible to conduct study on the character and behavior of the
prisoners.
3. Sociologist – study the social case situation of the individual prisoner.
4. Educational Counselor – conducts orientation classes in order to change inmates’
attitude towards education and recommends educational program for prisoners.
5. Vocational Counselor – to test the prisoner’s special abilities, interest, and skills
and recommends for the vocational course best suited to the prisoner.
6. Chaplain – encourage the prisoner to participate in religious activities.
7. Medical Officer – conducts physical examination and recommends medical
treatment of prisoners.
8. Custodial-Correctional Officer – recommends the transfer and type of custody of
inmates.

The Quarantine Cell or Unit This may be a unit of the prison or a section of the RDC
where the prisoner is given thorough physical examination including blood test, X-
rays, vaccinations, and immunity for 5 to 10 days. This is for the purpose of insuring
that the prisoner is not suffering from any cantagious disease, which might be
transferred to the prison population.

The National Corrections Consciousness Week  Every Last Week of October  By

virtue of Proclamation No. 551 signed on March 15, 1996, by former President Fidel
V. Ramos.

What is Jail? Jail is a place foe locking-up of persons who are convicted of minor
offenses or felonies that are to serve a short sentence imposed upon them by a
competent court, or for confinement of persons who are awaiting trial or investigation
of their cases.

A place of confinement for inmates under investigation, awaiting 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 confines (People vs. Caricaban, 13672-CR, September
9, 1965)

Origin of the Word Jail It is said to have been derived from the Spanish word
JAULO / CAULA which means CAGE. It is also said to have been derived from the
French word GAOL pronounced as “geole”, a place for the arrested criminals.

Types of Jails:

1. Lock-up Jails – a security facility, common to police stations, used for temporary
confinement of an individual held for investigation.

2. Ordinary Jails – the type of jail commonly used to detain a convicted criminal
offender to serve sentence less than three years.

3. Workhouses, Jail Farms or Camp – a facility that houses minimum custody

offenders who are serving short sentences or those who are undergoing constructive
work programs. It provides full employment of prisoners, remedial services and
constructive leisure time activities.
Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) The BJMP exercises supervision
and control over all cities and municipal jails throughout the country.

The enactment of Republic Act No. 6975 created the BJMP and further amended by
RA 9263 of the BFP and BJMP Professionalization Act of 2004.

It operates as a line Bureau under the Department of the Interior and Local
Government (DILG). J/DIR. CHARLES MONDEJAR – the first chief of the BJMP
way back its establishment.

Mission To enhance public safety by ensuring humane safekeeping and development

of Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) in all district, city, and municipal jails for their
integration to society.

Vision A premier institution highly regarded by society for the secure and humane
treatment of Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) by its competent and motivated
corps. Objectives:
1. To improve the living conditions of the offenders in accordance with the accepted
standards set by the United Nations.
2. To enhance rehabilitation and reformation of offenders in preparation for their
eventual reintegration into the mainstream of society upon their release.
3. To professionalize jail services.

Powers, Functions and Organization of the BJMP

A. Powers The Bureau shall exercise supervision and control over all districts, city,
and municipal jails to ensure a secured, clean, sanitary, and adequately equipped jail
for the custody and safekeeping of city and municipal prisoners, any fugitive from
justice or persons detained awaiting investigation or trial and/or transfer to the
National Penitentiary, and any violent, mentally ill person who endangers himself or
the safety of others.

B. Organization and Key Positions in the BJMP The BJMP, also referred to as the Jail
Bureau, was created pursuant to Section 60, RA No. 6975, and initially consisting of
uniformed officers and members of the Jail Management and Penology service as
constituted under PD No. 765.

The Bureau shall be headed by a Chief with the rank of Director, and assisted by a
Deputy Chief with the rank of Chief Superintendent.

The Central Office is the Command and Staff HQ of the Jail Bureau composed of 3
Command Groups, 6 Coordinating Staff Divisions, 6 Staff Groups and 6 Personal
Staff Groups namely:
1. Command Groups 
Chief, BJMP (Director Rank) 
Deputy C/BJMP (Admin and Operation) 
Chief of Directorial Staff
2. Coordinating Staff Groups 
Administrative Division 
Operations Division 
Logistics Division – Equipment 
Finance Management Division – Comptrollership 
Research Plans and Investigation Division

3.Special Staff Groups 

General Services Unit – Repairs and Maintenance 
Health Services Unit 
Chaplain Services Unit – Spiritual Services 
Community Services Unit 
Finance Services Unit 
Hearing Office

4. Personal Staff Groups 

Aide-de-Camp 
Intelligence Office 
Public Information Office 
Legal Office 
Adjudication Office 
Internal Audit Regional Office

At the Regional Level, each region shall have a designated Regional Director for Jail
Management and Penology.

Provincial Level In the Provincial Level, there shall be designated a Provincial Jail
Administrator to perform the same functions as the ARD’s province wide.

District Office In the District Level, where there are large cities and municipalities, a
district jail with subordinate jails headed by a District Warden may be established
necessary.

City and Municipal Office In the City and Municipal level, a City or Municipal
Warden shall head each jail.
Functions of a Jail Warden or Prison on Superintendent

1. Decision Making – important in the prison setting the warden limits his role to
considering policy matters and major problems. He delegates with confidence, to
well- trained subordinate executives sufficient authority for management of daily
operations in line with established policy.

2. Control Prison Operations and Activities – it has always been important that the
program and policy are carried out and avoid mismanagement by incompetent
personnel or by individual or group of inmates getting into positions of power. The
warden depends more on sound organizational planning, written manual policies and
procedures, and an effective communications system than controlling operations by
constant personnel inspection of all areas and frequent contact with all personnel and
a large number of inmates.
3. Public Relation – the warden today provides leadership to involve all personnel in a
program aimed at gaining public understanding, goodwill and community acceptance.
4. Personnel Program – it is the warden’s responsibility to provide leadership and
assign responsibility for recruitment, selection, training, and supervision of personnel.
5. Executive Leadership – must be constantly demonstrated by the administrative
head. He must offer leadership and motivation to his staff in his personal drive,
knowledge, and sincerity of purpose and must tie together all programs of discipline
in cementing a meaningful administrative course

Rank Classification of the BJMP (RA 9263)

RANK POSITION / TITLE / AUTHORITY APPOINTING

Director Chief of the

BJMP President
C/Supt. Deputy C/BJMP President
Sr. Supt. Asst. Regional Dir.
DILG Secretary Supt. Asst. Regional
Dir. C, BJMP Chief
Insp. Warden C, BJMP
Sr. Insp. Warden C, BJMP
Inspector Warden C, BJMP
SJO 4 to JO1 Jail Guards Regional

The BFP and the BJMP shall be respectively headed by a Chief who shall be assisted
by two deputy chiefs, one for administration and one for operations, all of whom shall
be appointed by the President upon recommendation of the Secretary of the DILG
from among the qualified officers with at least the rank of Senior Superintendent in
the service (RA 92633 Sec. 3)

NOTE: All uniformed personnel of the BJMP shall be trained in the National Jail
Training Institute under the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC-NJTI) Duties and
Responsibilities
a. Warden  Director, Coordinator, and Control of the Jail  Responsible for the:
Security, Safety, Discipline, and well-being of Inmates The office of the Warden may
organize the following Units:

Intelligence and Investigation Team – It gathers, collates, and submits intelligence

information to the office of the warden on matter regarding the jail condition

Jail Inspectorate Section – Inspect jail facilities, personnel, prisoners and submit
reports to the warden 

Public Relation Office – Maintain public relation to obtain the necessary and adequate
public support.

b. Assistant Warden The office of the Assistant Warden undertakes the development
of a systematic process of treatment. Chairman of the Classification Board and
Disciplinary Board.

NOTE: Once the inmate has undergone the registration process; he/she willl be
temporarily housed at the Inmate Classification and Counseling Unit (ICCU) in jails
where it is available. The inmate shall stay at the ICCU for a minimum period of 30
days but not exceeding 60 days or until the completion of the classification process.
At the ICCU, the newly committed inmate will undergo assessment by the different
health professionals.

ICCU – Equivalent of Reception and Diagnostic Center of BUCOR c. Administrative

Groups The administrative groups take charge of all administrative functions of the
jail Bureau

1. Personnel Management Branch  Assignment of Personnel  Procedures of

Selection  Preparation of Personnel Reports  Individual Record File

2. Records and Statistics Branch  Keep and maintain record sheets and arrest reports
 Keep an orderly record of fingerprints and photographs  Present / Prepare
statistical data of inmates

3. Property and Supply Branch  Take charge of the safekeeping of equipment and
supplies and materials needed for the operation of the jail

4. Budget and Finance Branch  Take charge of all finance matters such as
budgeting, financing, accounting, and auditing.

5. Mess Service Branch  Take charge of the preparation of the daily menu prepares
and cook the food and serve it to inmates

6. General Service Branch  Responsible for the maintenance and repair of jail
facilities and equipment. It is also task with the cleanliness and beautification of the
jail compound.

7. Mittimus Computing Branch Tasked to receive court decisions and compute the
date of the full completion of the service of sentence of inmates.

Mittimus – a warrant issued by a court directing a jail or prison authorities to receive

the convicted offender for the service of sentence imposed therein or for detention.

c. Security Groups The security groups provides a system of sound custody, security,
and control of inmates and their movements and also responsible to enforce prison or
jail discipline.

1. Escort Platoon
a. Escort Section – to escort inmate upon of any judicial body; upon summon of a
court; or transfer to other penal institutions.
Ratio of 1:2 (one inmate : two jail officers)

B.Subpeona Section – receives and distributes court summons, notices, subpoenas,

etc.

2. Security Platoon – a three working platoon shifts responsible for overall security of
the jail compound including gates, guard posts and towers. They are also responsible
for the admitting and releasing unit.
Jail Manning Level
1. Custodial Ratio – 1 personnel for every 7 inmates
2. Court Room Ratio – 2 personnel for every 1 inmate
3. Escort Ratio – 1 personnel for every 1 inmate plus one personnel for high risk
inmate
4. Long Distance Travel – minimum of 3 personnel 5. Reformation Officer Ration – 1
personnel to 24 inmates

d. Rehabilitation Purposes Groups This group provides services and assistance to

prisoners and their families to enable them to solve their individual needs and
problems arising from the prisoners’ confinement.
1. Medical and Health Services Branch – provides medical and physical examinations
of inmates upon confinement, treatment of sick inmates and conduct medical and
physical examinations and provide medicines or recommends for the hospitalization
of seriously ill prisoners or inmates. It also conducts psychiatric and psychological
examinations
2. Work and Education Therapy Services – it take charge of the job and educational
programs needed for rehabilitation of inmates by providing them job incentives so
they can earn and provide support for their families while in jail. Education –
cornerstone of rehabilitation or the most important program of rehabilitation
3. Socio-Cultural Services – it takes care of the social case work study of the
individual prisoners by making interviews, home visits, referral to community
resources, free legal services, and liaison works for the inmates.
4. Chaplaincy Services – it takes charge of the religious and moral upliftment of the
inmates through religious services.
5. Guidance and Counseling Services – responsible for the individual and group
counseling activities to help inmates solve their individual problems and to help them
lead a wholesome and constructive life.

BJMP Manual Section 30,

Punishable Acts 1. Minor Offenses

a. Selling or bartering with fellow inmates those items not classified as contraband;
b. Rendering personal service to fellow inmates;
c. Untidy or dirty personal appearance;
d. Littering or failing to maintain cleanliness and orderliness in his/her quarters and/or
surroundings;
e. Making frivolous or groundless complaints;
f. Taking the cudgels for or reporting complaints on behalf of other inmates;
g. Reporting late for inmate formation and inmate headcount without justifiable
reasons; and h. Willful waste of food.

3. Less Grave Offenses

a. Failure to report for work detail without sufficient justification;
b. Failure to render assistance to an injured personnel or inmate;
c. Failure to assist in putting out fires inside the jail;
d. Behaving improperly or acting boisterously during religious, social and other group
functions;
e. Swearing, cursing or using profane or defamatory language directed at other
persons;
f. Malingering or pretending to be sick to skip work assignment;
g. Spreading rumors or malicious intrigues to besmirch the honor of any person,
particularly BJMP personnel;
h. Failure to stand at attention and give due respect when confronted by or reporting
to any BJMP personnel;
i. Forcing fellow inmates to render personal service to him/her and/or to others;
j. Exchanging uniforms or wearing clothes other than those issued to him/her for the
purpose of circumventing jail rules;
k. Loitering or being in an unauthorized place;
l. Using the telephone without authority from the desk officer/warden;
m. Writing, defacing, or drawing on walls, floors, or any furniture or equipment;
n. Withholding information, which may be inimical or prejudicial to the jail
administration;
o. Possession of lewd or pornographic literature and/or photographs;
p. Absence from cell, brigade, place of work during headcount, or at any time without
justifiable reason; and
q. Failure to turn over any implement / articles issued after work detail.

4. Grave Offenses
a. Making untruthful statements or lies in any official communication, transaction, or
investigation;
b. Keeping or concealing keys locks of places in the jail which are off-limits to
inmates;
c. Giving gifts, selling, or bartering with jail personnel;
d. Keeping in his/her possession money, jewelry, cellular phones or other
communication devices and other items classified as contraband under the rules;
e. Tattooing others or allowing him/her to be tattooed on any part of the body, or
keeping any paraphernalia to be used in tattooing;
f. Forcibly taking or extorting money from fellow inmates and visitors;
g. Punishing or inflicting injury or any harm upon himself/herself or other inmates;
h. Receiving, keeping, taking or drinking liquor and prohibited drugs;
i. Making, improvising or keeping any kind of deadly weapon;
j. Counseling or withholding information on plans of attempted escapes;
k. Unruly conduct and flagrant disregard for discipline and instructions;
l. Escaping, attempting or planning to escape from the institution or from any guard;
m. m. Helping, aiding or abetting others to escape;
n. Fighting, causing any disturbance or participating therein and/or agitating to cause
such disturbance or riot;
o. Indecent, immoral or lascivious acts by himself/herself or others and/or allowing
himself/herself to be the subject of such indecent, immoral, lascivious acts;
p. Willful disobedience to a lawful order issued by any BJMP personnel;
q. Assaulting any BJMP personnel;
r. Damaging any government property or equipment;
s. Participating in kangaroo court, an unauthorized or irregular court conducted with
disregard for or perversion of legal procedures as a mock court by the inmates in a
jail/prison;
t. Affiliating with any gang or faction whose main purpose is to foment regionalism or
to segregate themselves from others;
u. Failing to inform the authorities concerned when afflicted with any communicable
disease, such as tuberculosis, sexually-transmitted diseases, etc.;
v. Engaging in gambling or any game of change; w. Committing any act which
violates any law or ordinance, in which, he/she shall be prosecuted criminally in
accordance with the law; and
w. Committing any act prejudicial to good order and discipline. Any personnel,
especially warden, found to be allowing and tolerating any violation mentioned above
will be immediately relieved from his/her designation without prejudice to his or her
being administratively charged.

Section 26. Duties and Functions of the Disciplinary Board

The board is tasked to investigate the facts of an alleged misconduct referred to it, it
shall hold sessions as often as necessary in a room, which may be provided for the
purpose. All cases referred to it shall be heard and decided within 48 hours from the
date of receipt of the case.
Disciplinary Punishment in Jail / Prison
1. Counsel and Reprimand
2. Loss of Privileges
3. Loss of Good Conduct Time Allowance
4. Close Confinement
5. Reduced Diet

The Treatment Programs

A. Institutionalized Treatment Programs

1. Prison Education – the cornerstone of rehabilitation. It is the process or result of
formal training school or classrooms intended to shape the mind and attitude of
prisoners towards good living upon their release.

2. Work Programs / Livelihood Programs – these are programs conducive to change

behavior in morale by training prisoners for a useful occupation. It is purposely to
eliminate idleness on the part of prisoners, which may contribute to “Prison Stupor”,
and it affects the incidence of Prison riot.
A. Industrial Programs – concerned in goods or products production
B. Agricultural Programs – concerned in crops and farm activities and programs
C. Religious Services in Prison / Spiritual Programs – the purpose of this program is
to change the attitudes of inmates by inculcating religious values or belief.
D. Sports and Recreational Programs – the only leisure program that is conducted
during free time schedule.
E. Medical and Health Services – medical and Health Services includes: Mental and
Physical Examination, Diagnostic and Treatment, Immunization, Sanitary, Inspection,
Participation in Training.
F. Counseling and Casework

Penal Servitude / Prison Labor Six Systems of Prison Labor are:

Penal Servitude – a punishment, which consist of keeping an offender in confinement

and compelling to labor.
It is also known as Prison Labor. Penal Servitude is being conducted in Hard wood
Shops

Types: 1. Lease System – the state turns the prisoners over to a private lease. The
latter feeds clothes, guards, and houses and disciplines the prisoners. This system
prevailed in the southern states of the United States. These systems no longer exist.

2.Contract System – the state, under this system, retains control of the prisoner and
the contractor merely engages with the state for the labor of the inmates, which is
performed within or near the prison. The contractor supplies the raw material and
supervises the work and pays the institution the stipulated amount for the services of
the prisoners. These systems no longer exist.

3. Price-Piece System – under this system the contractor supplies the raw materials
and pays the state a determined amount for the work done on each articles produced.
institution retains control of the inmates including the daily quantity of work required.
This system has also been abolished.

4. Public Account System – in the Public Account System, the state buys the raw
material, manufactures and sells the products and assumes all the risk of conducting a
manufacturing business. Today, prison-made products cannot be sold in the open
market.

5. State-Use System – under this system, the state conducts the manufacture of the
article but the use of the article is limited to state owned institutions. The principle of
the system is that the state produces articles or merchandise for its own consumption
alone and in the process affords the prisoner opportunities to train for a vocation.

6. Public Works and Ways System – Prison Labor is used in the construction and
repair of public buildings, roads, bridges, flood control, reforestation, clearing land,
preventing soil erosion, etc. the ,system does not involve the application of prison
labor to the production of consumption goods.

Modes and Guidelines of Release – the following modes and guidelines shall be
observed when inmates are to be released from detention.
a. An inmate may be released through: 
Service of Sentence – released by director 
Order of the Court – thru probation or acquaintance 
Parole – by BPP 
Pardon - released by the order of the President 
Amnesty – released by the order of the President and Congress

b. Before an inmate is released, he/she shall be properly identified to ensure that

he/she is the same person received and will be released. His/her marks and
fingerprints shall be verified with those taken when he/she was received. Any changes
or differences in his/her distinguishing marks and scars shall be investigated to
ascertain his/her real identity in order to prevent the mistaken release of another
person.
c. No inmate shall be released on a mere verbal order or an order relayed by
telephone. The release of an inmate by reason of acquittal, dismissal of case, payment
of fines and/or indemnity, of filing of the release order served by the court process
server.

The Court shall bear the full name of the inmate, the crime he/she was charged with,
the criminal case number and such other details that will enable the officer in charge
to properly identity the inmate to be released. 

Upon proper verification from the court of the authenticity of the Order, an inmate
shall be released promptly and without unreasonable delay. 

Under proper receipt, all money earned and other valuables held in trust when first
admitted, shall be returned to the inmate upon release. 

The released inmate shall be issued a Certification of Discharge fron jail by the
Warden/Wardress or his/her authorized representative.

Pregnant Female Inmate

Pregnant women must be given special considerations and if ever that the child was
born, the said child will have to stay to his/her mother for not more than one year.

Can an Inmate Marry? 

Yes...But... 
Be held inside the jail 
Request must be produced to the Superintendent 
Expenses must be shouldered by the inmate 
Solemnized by the prison chaplain 
No media coverage 
No jail personnel sponsors and witness

Miscellaneous Topics about Institutional Correction 

The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the treatment of offenders
prescribes that penal institution should not exceed 1,200 inmates. Smaller institutions
should however not be too small as to make operating cost too expensive. 

Super Security Facility – a small portion of any prison population consists of

incorrigibles, recidivists, escape artists, and chronic troublemakers. This category of
prisoners should be confined in a unit or institution separate from the general
population.

BUCOR’s Teams under Riot and Disorders 

Group 1 – anti riot assault with shields, head gear, gas mask, and baton to disperse the
rioters and leaders 
Group 2 – back up team with tear gas and gas grenades 
Group 3 – fire arms team use firearms with permission of the guard in charged
Salient Points on RA 10575 “BUCOR LAW OF 2013”

Classification of Dormitory

1. Type A Dormitory – above 500 inmate capacity and lot area of more than 1.5
hectares
2. Type B Dormitory – 101 to 500 inmate capacity and lot area of 1.5 hectares
3. Type C Dormitory – 1 to 100 inmate capacity and lot area of 3,000 aq. m.

Cell Capacity
1. Ideal habitable floor area per inmate = 4.7 sq. m.
2. Max. number of inmates per cell = 10
3. Max. number of bunks beds = 5 units two level

Key Positions The BUCOR shall be headed by a Director who shall be assisted by
three Deputy Director: 1 for Administration, 1 for Security and Operations, and 1 for
Reformation, all of whom shall be appointed by the President upon the
recommendation of the Secretary of the DOJ who shall have tenure of 6 years.

BuCor Manning Level

1. 1:7 for 3 shifts

2. Reformation personnel to inmate ratio of 1:24 for 1 shift
3. The reformation ration is broken down into the following:
a. Moral and Spiritual Personnel to Inmate ratio is 1:240
b. Educational and Training Personnel to Inmate ratio is 1:120
c. Work and Livelihood Personnel to Inmate ratio is 1:180
d. Sports and Recreation Personnel to Inmate ratio is 1:22
e. Health and Welfare Personnel to Inmate ratio is 1:80
f. Behavior Modification Personnel to Inmate ratio is 1:150

BuCor Officers Basic Qualification *All of the requirements asked by law is very
much the same of the PNP, BFP and BJMP but only differs in mandatory AGE
requirement which is 21 to 40 years old for the BuCor.