CA 1 – SEMI FINALS

CHAPTER 4
CORRECTIONS ADMINISTRATION

Corrections administration is a part of the management process which is taking charge of supervising correctional officers in the prison
system, as well as designing and implementing policies within corrections and jail facilities. This may also direct the activities of correctional of
reformatory officers, persons deprived of liberty and visitors by shaping the overall policies of the corrections and jail facilities. The history of
administration is riddled with the best of intentions and the worst of abuses.

Moreover, corrections administration practices were developed, and corrections and jail facilities, were created, in part, to remove the riffraff
or at least to control and shape them. Prisons and community corrections were also created to avert the use of more violent or coercive responses.
Moreover, upon conviction of the accused by the courts, the correctional institution or the prisons will take into custody of convicts. It is inside
these correctional institutions that the convicted criminal will be reformed during their term of sentence.

What is Corrections Administration?

Corrections administration is the branch of the administration of criminal justice system charged with the responsibility for the custody,
supervision, and rehabilitation of the convicted offender. It is also a program that prepares individuals to plan and manage institutional facilities
and programs for housing and rehabilitating prisoners in the public and private sectors. Likewise, it is the organization and management of the
delivery system that brings the basic necessities of the treatment and rehabilitation program of corrections and jail facilities.

Pre-Colonial and Spanish Regimes

 During the pre-colonial times, the informal prison system was community-based, as there were no national penitentiaries to speak of.
Natives who defied or violated the local laws were meted appropriate penalties by the local chieftains. Incarceration in the community was
only meant to prevent the culprit from further harming the local residents. The formal prison system in the Philippines started only during
the Spanish regime, where an organized corrective service was made operational.

 Established in 1847 pursuant to Section 1708 of the Revised Administrative Code and formally opened by Royal Decree in 1847, the Old
Bilibid Prison was constructed as the main penitentiary on Oroquieta Street, Manila and designed to house the prison population of the
country. It was in the year of 1847 that the first Bilibid Prison was constructed by virtue of a Royal Decree. This prison became known as
the "Carcel y Presidio Correccional," and could accommodate 1,127 prisoners.

 The "carcel" was designed to house 600 prisoners who were segregated according to class, sex and crime while the Presidio could
accommodate 527 prisoners. Plans for the construction of the prison were first published on September 12, 1859 but it was not until April
10, 1866 that the entire facility was completed. The prison occupied a quadrangular piece of land 180 meters long on each side, which was
formerly a part of the Mayhalique Estate in the heart of Manila.

 It housed a building for the offices and quarters of the prison warden, and 15 buildings or departments for prisoners that were arranged in a
radial way to form spokes. The central tower formed the hub. Under this tower was the chapel. There were four cell-houses for the isolated
prisoners and four isolated buildings located on the four corners of the walls, which served as kitchen, hospital and stores. The prison was
divided in the middle by a thick wall. One-half of the enclosed space was assigned to Presidio prisoners and the other half to "carcel"
prisoners.

 In 1908, concrete modern 200-bed capacity hospitals as well as new dormitories for the prisoners were added. A carpentry shop was
organized within the confines of the facility. For some times the shop became a trademark for fine workmanship of furniture made by
prisoners. At this time, sales of handicrafts were done through the institutions and inmates were compensated depending on the availability
of funds. As a consequence, inmates often had to sell through the retail or barter their products.

 On August 21, 1869, the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City was 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-hectare sprawling estate. In 1870, San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City which was named after the patron
Saint of its founder Ramon Blanco was established primarily to confine political offenders.

 In 1898, San Ramon Prison was closed during the Spanish-American War. On November 16, 1904, Iwahig Penal Colony was created. The
Reorganization Act of 1905 created the Bureau of Prisons under the Department of Commerce, then to Department of Public Instruction
and finally to Department of Justice. The three (3) prisons and penal colonies, namely: Old Bilibid, San Ramon, and Iwahig were placed
under the Bureau of Prisons jurisdiction including the "Corregidor Stockade" and the "Bontoc Prison" which were later phased out of use.

 By authority of Act No. 3579, Correctional Institution for Women, was established in 1931 at Welfareville, Mandaluyong City, Province of
Rizal. On January 21, 1932, the Davao Penal Colony was established in accordance with Act No. 3732. By virtue of Proclamation No. 414
series of 1931, the Old Bilibid Prison was transferred to its present site. Today, the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), nowadays the BuCor
operates two satellite units, namely: Bukang Liwayway Camp and Sampaguita Camp.

American and Commonwealth Regime

 When the Americans took over in the 1900s, the Bureau of Prisons was created under the Reorganization Act of 1905, or Act No. 1407,
dated November 1, 1905, as an agency under the Department of Commerce and Police. It also paved the way for the re-establishment of
San Ramon Prison in 1907 which was destroyed during the Spanish- American War. On January 1, 1915, the San Ramon Prison was placed
under the auspices of the Bureau of Prisons and started receiving prisoners from Mindanao.

 Before the reconstruction of San Ramon Prison, the Americans established in 1904 the lubit 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 1950s. Located on 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 E.O. No. 67, issued by Governor Newton Gilbert on October 15, 1912.

 Other penal colonies were established during the American regime. On November 27, 1929, the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW)
was created under Act No. 3579 to provide separate facilities for women offenders while the Davao Penal Colony in Southern Mindanao
was opened in 1932 under Act No. 3732.

Transfer of the Old Bilibid Prison

 The increasing number of committals to the Old Bilibid Prison, the growing urbanization of Manila and the constant lobbying by
conservative groups prompted the government to plan and develop a new site for the national penitentiary, which was to be on the outskirts
of the urban center.

 Accordingly, Commonwealth Act No. 67 was enacted, appropriating One Million Pesos (P1,000,000.00) 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. It was later abandoned and is now under the jurisdiction of the Public Estates Authority.

 On November 15, 1940, all inmates of the Old Bilibid Prison in Manila were transferred to the new site. The new institution had a capacity
of 3,000 prisoners and it was officially named the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) on January 22, 1941. The prison reservation has an area of 587
hectares, part of which was arable. The prison compound proper had an area of 300 x 300 meters or a total of nine hectares. It was
surrounded by three layers of barbed wire.

Developments After World War II

 After World War II, there was a surplus of steel matting in the inventory and it was used to improve the security fences of the prison. A
death chamber was constructed in 1941 at the rear area of the camp when the mode of execution was through electrocution. In the late '60s.
fences were further reinforced with concrete slabs.

 The original institution became the maximum security compound in the 70s and continues to be so up to present, housing not only death
convicts and inmates sentenced to life terms, but also those with numerous pending cases, multiple convictions and sentences of more than
20-years. In the 1980s, the height of the concrete wall was increased and another facility was constructed, 2.5 kilometers from the main
building.

 This became known as Camp Sampaguita or the Medium Security Camp, which was used as a military stockade during the martial law
years and the Minimum Security Camp, whose first site was christened "Bukang Liwayway." Later on, this was transferred to another site
within the reservation where the former depot was situated.

 After World War II, two (2) more prisons were created to decongest the over-crowded condition of the NBP. These are: (1) Sablayan Penal
Colony in Mindoro Occidental which was established on September 27, 1954, under Proclamation No. 72; and (2) Leyte Regional Prison
which was established on January 16, 1973, under Proclamation No. 1101.

Non-Operational National Prisons

The non-operational national prisons in the country, are as follows:

1. The Fort Bonifacio Prison. 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 Makati, which was established after the Americans came to the Philippines. The
prison was originally used as a detention center for offenders of US military laws and ordinances.

 After the liberation of the Philippines, the reservation was transferred to the Philippine government, which instructed the Bureau of
Prisons to use the facility for the confinement of maximum security prisoners. For several years, incorrigibles were mixed with
political prisoners at the Fort Bonifacio facility until June 30, 1968, when it was converted into a prison exclusively for political
offenders.

 Moreover, after a bloody riot at the Muntinlupa facility on April 1969, however, incorrigible prisoners from Muntinlupa were
transferred to Fort Bonifacio. During the administration of President Diosdado Macapagal, the Fort was renamed Fort Andres
Bonifacio. The correctional facility was also renamed Fort Bonifacio Prison.

 The one-story building now stands on a one-hectare area. The Fort Bonifacio Prison continued to be a satellite prison of the national
penitentiary even after martial law was lifted. It was only in the late 1980s that the facility was vacated by the Bureau of Prisons.
2. Corregidor Prison Stockade. 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

 The inmates were transported not to serve time but for prison labor. Until the outbreak of the Second World War, inmates from Old
Bilibid Prison were regularly sent to Corregidor for labor purposes. When the War broke out, prisoners on Corregidor were returned to
Bilibid Prison. The island prison was never reopened.

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 Viscaya. Bontoc prison could be reached only through narrow, poorly developed
mountain roads. Due to the enormous expenses incurred in transporting personnel, equipment and supplies to the prison, the facility was
closed.

BuCor's Approaches to Corrections

 In the context of the criminal justice system, corrections pillar is an important component that follows the court process after a defendant
has been found guilty or that aids the court during the process prior to the sentence. There is a need to begin first by briefly introducing how
criminal cases get to court pillar through the police or law enforcement pillar.

 As one of the pillars of the criminal justice system, the correction pillar in the local scenario has two-system based approaches. One is the
institution-based and other is the non-institution or community-based corrections. Both systems are being implemented on a fragmentary
basis by the different departments of the executive branch of the government.

 These are the Department of Justice (DOJ), which takes care of the insular or national prisoners, the Department of the Interior and Local
Government (DILG), which takes care of the municipal, city and provincial prisoners, and the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) which take care of sentenced youth offenders.

 The principal task of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) is the rehabilitation of national or insular prisoners as they can become useful
members of the society upon completion of their service of sentence. The Board of Parole and Pardons (BPP) recommend to the President
the prisoners who are qualified for parole, pardon, or other forms of executive clemency.

 Moreover, the vision of the BuCor is stated as, "a safer society by 2028 through reformed persons reintegrated by a highly efficient and
competent corrections service." The mission of the BuCor is read as, "to protect the public by safekeeping and reforming persons under our
custody adhering to international standards of corrections service."

 The core values of the BuCor, are as follows: (1) God centered- centering our lives joyfully and dynamically upon the person of God; (2)
vigilance-committed to enhance public safety by being responsive to the extreme demands of corrections duties; (3) innovativeness-
continuing advancement in corrections management in order to face emerging challenges and to optimize application of resources, and (4)
integrity- promote accountability, equity and inclusiveness by adhering to high ethical and moral standards.

 The functions of the BuCor, are as follows: (1) ssafekeeping of prisoners convicted by courts three (3) years and one (1) day and above to
serve sentence in prison; (2) prevent prisoners from committing crimes: (3) provide inmates basic needs; (4) ensure rehabilitation programs
are made available to the inmates for their physical, intellectual and spiritual development; and (5) develop livelihood programs to assist
inmates earn a living and develop their skills while in prison.

Statutory Legal Basis of the BuCor

 The Bureau of Prisons was established on November 1, 1905 under the Department of Public Instruction through Reorganization Act No.
1407 of the Philippine Commission until it was transferred to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The Prison Law was incorporated in
Chapter 45 of the Revised Administrative Code of 1917.

 Section 26 of the Administrative Code of 1987 issued November 23, 1989 under Proclamation No. 495 of the President of the Philippines
change the name of the Bureau of Prison to Bureau of Corrections.

 On May 24, 2013, the then President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III signed into law, R.A. No. 10575, otherwise known as, "The Bureau of
Corrections Act of 2013," which provides for the Modernization, Professionalization and Restructuring of the BuCor.

Correction Facilities of the BuCor

There are seven (7) correctional facilities of the BuCor, which are located all over the country, as follows:

1. New Bilibid Prison (NBP). It is located in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila. This is where the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Central Office is
co-located Within the complex are three (3) security camps administered by a Corrections Superintendent and assisted by an Assistant
Superintendent in each Camp. The three security camps are:

a. Maximum Security Compound. It is for prisoners whose sentences are 20-years and above, life termers or those under capital
punishment, and those under disciplinary punishment.
 b. Medium Security Compound. It is for prisoners whose sentences are below 20-years, computed from the minimum sentence per
classification interpretation, and those classified for colony assignment

c. Minimum Security Compound. It is an open camp with less restrictions and regimentation. This is for prisoners who are 65
years old and above, and for those who have six months or less prior release.

d. Halfway House. The Halfway House was designed to provided preparatory rehabilitation activities in a residential setting to
release or pre-release persons deprives of liberty or PDLs.

2. Correctional Institution for Women (CIW). It was established on November 27, 1927, under Act No. 3579, which authorizes the transfer
of all women inmates from Old Bilibid Prison in Manila to a building in Welfareville. then Mandaluyong. Its old name, Women's Prison,
was changed to Correctional Institution for Women (CIW). It is the only prison facility for national female prisoners in the country.

3. The Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (IPPF). It is located in Puerto Prinsesa City, Palawan. This penal farm is predominantly designed for
activities. Within its area are four (4) sub-colonies: (1) Central Sub-Colony, (2) Montible Sub-Colony, (3) Sta. Lucia Sub- Colony, and (4)
Inagawan Sub-Colony.

4. Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm (SPPF). It is located in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, in Region 4-B or MIMAROPA Region. This
penal farm is intended for agro-industrial activities within the colony. Within its area of responsibilities are four (4) sub-colonies: (1)
Central Sub-Colony, (2) Pasugui Sub-Colony, (3) Pusog Sub-Colony, and (4) Yapang Sub-Colony. A Penal Supervisor administers all these
colonies.

5. Leyte Regional Prison (LRP). It is located in Abuyog, Leyte. It is a prison facility, which has a receiving and processing station. It has
three security facilities, as follows: (1) maximum-security; (2) medium- security, and (3) minimum-security. Because of nature of its
geographical terrain, prison's agro-industrial activities could not be fully developed.

6. San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm (SRPP). It is located in Zamboanga Del Sur. A prison facility primarily intended to confine Muslim
prisoners. It has three security facilities, as follows: (1) maximum-security, (2) medium-security; and (3) minimum-security, with receiving
station of its own. This penal farm is designed to promote agro-industrial activities.

7. Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF). It is located in Tagum, Davao del Norte. It is a prison facility for medium security prisoners only.
This penal farm is where the banana concession provided for the biggest market for prison manpower. It is the first and one of the oldest
and most recognized penal colonies in the country. It is sprawled at the vast Tadeco Banana Plantation.

Varied Philosophies in Corrections

The varied philosophies in the admission, custody and treatment of inmates, are as follows:

1. Seek to promote discipline and to secure the reformation and safe custody of inmates from responsive contemporary treatment and
rehabilitation.
2. Shall be applied impartially, without discrimination on grounds of race, color, sex, language, religion, birth or other status.
3. Shall be enforced with certainty, swiftness and firmness but tempered with understanding as an approach in crime deterrence.
4. The prisoner is in prison not for punishment but for rehabilitation, therefore he or she must be accorded with his constitutional rights.

Means in the Classifications of Prisoners

The means in classifications of PDLs, as provided for by P.D. No 29, and SC Circular No. 4-92-A, dated April 20, 1992, are as follows:

1. Insular or National PDLs. It is a person who is sentenced to serve a prison term of more than three (3) years and one (1) day or more, or
death, and to pay a fine of more than Three Thousand Pesos (P3,000.00), or both fine and imprisonment.

2. Provincial PDLs. It is a person who is sentenced to serve a prison term of one (1) year and one (1) day to three (3) years, or to a pay a fine
of One Thousand Pesos (P1,000.00), or both fine and imprisonment. The sentenced prisoner is serving his or her term in the facilities
administered by the provincial government.

3. City PDLs. It is a person who is sentenced to serve a prison term of one (1) year and one (1) day to three (3) years, or to a pay a fine of One
Thousand Pesos (P1,000.00), or both fine and imprisonment.

4. Municipal PDLs. It is a person who is sentenced to serve imprisonment for not more than one (1) year. Usually, these are individuals who
commit minor offenses or infraction of ordinances.
Phases of Prisoners Classifications

The rehabilitation program of the prisoners is carried out through the following process of classification:

1. Diagnostic Examination. In line with the latest approach to treatment, it is necessary that the person deprived of liberty must undergo a
diagnostic examination, study and observation for the purpose of determining the program of treatment and training best suited to their
needs and the institution to which they should be transferred. This process takes place at the Directorate for Reception and Diagnostics
(DRDS) within the first 60 days of commitment to corrections institution.

2. Treatment Planning. From the interview and counseling situations at the Directorate for Reception and Diagnostics (DRDS), data are
obtained from the PDL's standpoint, that is, the man's own story, as well as from other persons. The admission summary becomes a
practical document when the final page is devoted to a listing of recommendations in the above areas of diagnostic study in the execution of
the treatment planning and for the persons deprived of liberty program.

3. Execution of Treatment. The PDL is transferred from the Directorate for Reception and Diagnostics (DRDs) to the operating institution
with a tentative plan of treatment already prepared. The treatment plan is contained in the admission summary which is sent to the
Classification and Treatment Division of the prison for implementation. On the prisoner's arrival in operating institution, he or she goes to
the General Service for temporary quartering pending permanent residence assignment.

Forms of Corrections Services

The different forms of corrections services, are as follows:

1. Religious Program. The importance of the religious programs in prison cannot be over-estimated. Some penal administrators hold the view
that the Chaplain is the most important person in the rehabilitative set-up of correctional institution.

2. Educational Program. The educational program of a correctional institution is one of the most important phases of the treatment and
training of prisoners. There is no common plan of education for all institutions. However, the emphasis is on vocational and manpower-
skills training.

3. Recreational Program Recreational programs in prison are an important part of the rehabilitation program. A good prison administrator
should provide wholesome, healthy activities for men confined in prisons However, many institutions are limited in this respect.

4. Library Services Program. The prison library plays an important role in the improvement of prisoners in the practical and cultural aspects
of social living. The good library either in prison, means a collection of books and periodical sufficiently complete and well-rounded.

5. Heath and Medical Program. There has been a growing awareness of the government's responsibility for the prisoner's health Most
citizens also appreciate the fact that the prisoner's chances of success on release are increased if he or she is not handicapped, or suffering
from any disabilities due to sickness.

6. Counseling Program. Counseling is defined as a relationship in which one endeavors to help another understand and solve his or her
problems of adjustment. It is distinguished from advice or admonition in that it implies mutual consent between the counselor and
counselee.

7. Casework Program. Casework in correctional work includes the professionally trained personnel in the description and social treatment of
offenders. Casework consists of working with one individual at a time. Both the individual and groups methods are the bases of the case
study.

8. Clinical Service Program. Clinical service provides the most intensive diagnostic and treatment activities. It generally includes the
functions of psychiatrist, psychologist, psychiatric social workers, and ancillary personnel such as psychiatric nurse and occupational
therapist, and other specially trained technician.

UN's Standards for Treatment

The United Nation's standard rules for the treatment of prisoners provides for the following:

1. Section 65. - The treatment of persons sentenced to imprisonment or a similar measure shall have its purpose so far as the length of the
sentence permits, to establish in them, the will to lead law-abiding and self-supporting lives after their release and to fit them to do so. The
treatment shall be such as will encourage their self-respect and develop their sense of responsibility.

2. Section 66 (1). - To these ends, all appropriate means shall be used, including religious care, in the countries where this is possible,
education, vocational guidance and training, social casework, employment counseling, physical development and strengthening of moral
character, in accordance with the individual needs of each prisoner, taking account of his or her social and criminal history, his or her
physical and moral capacities and aptitude, his or her personal temperament, the length of his or her sentence and his or her prospects after
release.

3. For every person deprived of liberty with a sentence of suitable length, the director shall receive as soon as possible after his admission, full
reports on all the matters referred to in the foregoing paragraph. Such reports shall always include report by a medical officer, regarding the
physical and mental condition of the prisoner.
4. The reports and other relevant documents shall be placed in an individual file. The file shall be kept up to date and classified in such a way
that it can be consulted by the responsible personnel whenever the need arises.

Custody, Security and Discipline

One of the important phases of prison management is the custody and control of prisoners. The rehabilitations program cannot be carried
out if the PDLs are not effectively controlled. The primary objectives of the prison programs are security, but it is not the ultimate goal. The
rehabilitation of prisoner which is the ultimate goal of imprisonment can be attained if the necessary structure, personnel and methods which
provide for security are present. Security is aimed at the prevention of escape and control of contraband and maintenance of good order.

These objectives can be realized if custodial facilities including buildings and equipment, personnel and methods relating to escape,
contraband and good order are given proper attention. Contraband is anything found in the possession of prisoner contrary to rules and
regulations. The rehabilitation of the institutions cannot be carried out if PDLs riot cause disturbance. A well-rounded correctional program,
having for its aim the rehabilitation of the prisoners, must be correlated with into system of sound custody, security and control of prisoners.

Issues in Corrections Administration

The correction system in the country is composed of various over- lapping agencies under three distinct and separate departments of the
national government, as follows: (1) Department of Justice (DOJ), which has administrative control over the Bureau of Correction (BuCor); (2)
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), which has administrative control over the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology
(BJMP) and Provincial Jails (PJs); and (3) Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which has administrative control over the
Bureau of Child and Youth Welfare (BCYW).

Aside from the preceding nagging issue, it is clearly indicated that the populations of persons deprived of liberty or PDLS and detainees
awaiting trial have consistently increasing over the years; thus, causing over-crowded and congested corrections and jail facilities. Therefore, no
matter how good the economy, corrections rarely sees an increase in funding. Conversely, when budget cuts are required, corrections are often
considered a prime source for money savings. Understandably, it is challenging to make the argument in our society that adequate funding to run
prisons is as important as the education of children or support for the needy.

Moreover, inmate violence, especially among the more dangerous segments of the prison population, poses an issue for both other inmates
and staff. Since the most dangerous inmates are the ones correctional facilities are required to keep for longer periods of time, it increases the
potential for repeated violence within facilities. Lastly, persons deprived of liberty are able to benefit from technological advances, especially the
miniaturization of devices. The smaller the device, the easier it is to smuggle inside a facility and, in turn, for the inmate to conceal the device.