THE LIFE IN JAIL LIVED EXPERIENCES OF PERSONS DEPRIVED OF LIBERTy

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THE LIFE IN JAIL: LIVED EXPERIENCES OF PERSONS DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY
Article · March 2023

DOI: 10.47760/cognizance.2023.v03i03.003
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Eliel Jim P. Gales et al, Cognizance Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, Vol.3, Issue.3, March 2023, pg. 42-55
(An Open Accessible, Multidisciplinary, Fully Refereed and Peer Reviewed Journal)
ISSN: 0976-7797
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THE LIFE IN JAIL: LIVED

EXPERIENCES OF PERSONS
DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY
Eliel Jim P. Gales1; Rev. Fr. Gun Real L. Omega2; Dr. Jenny C. Cano3;
Rev. Fr. Carlito M. Tiu4; Rev. Fr. Ansel C. Apatan5; Rev. Fr. Arbie E. Tindugan6;
Rev. Fr. Ronnel Ian M. Garcia7; Dr. Liza L. Chua8
1
Alumni, College of Education, Culture & Arts, Saint Paul University Surigao, Surigao City, Philippines
2,3,4,5,6,7
Faculty, College of Education, Culture & Arts, Saint Paul University Surigao, Surigao City, Philippines
8
Dean, College of Education, Culture & Arts, Saint Paul University Surigao, Surigao City, Philippines
1
elieljimgales8@gmail.com; 2 gunreal.omega@gmail.com; 3 jenny.cano@spus.edu.ph; 4 carlitotiu1968@gmail.com;
5
anselfish.aa@gmail.com; 6 arbietindugan@gmail.com; 7 frayronnel@gmail.com; 8 lizchua1994@gmail.com
DOI: 10.47760/cognizance.2023.v03i03.003
Abstract---- This study investigated the lived experiences among Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) using
phenomenological approach of qualitative research. Five PDL from Surigao City, Philippines were chosen as
informants of the study based from the years of imprisonment. The data were gathered through in-depth
interviews focusing on the informants’ personal experiences inside and outside the jail. Based on the analysis of
data, 23 concepts were formulated from significant meaning units, and the concepts were categorized into five
propositions. From these categories, 4 themes emerged: Connections, Self-reflection, Difficulties and Challenges,
and Adapting for survival. The findings of this study provide an important foundation from which to increase
public awareness and to understand the experiences among PDL who went through change but faced difficulties
and challenges inside and outside the jail. It involved the negative and positive experiences; negative because
they experienced longing for their family, loneliness, and hardships especially as they encounter discrimination
by the people outside, and positive because they experienced change inside the jail and learned from their
mistakes in the past. Such a phenomenon at some point leads ex-convicts to self-reflect and change their lives
into good examples. These experiences of PDL may influence and inspire the youth to avoid any crimes and help
them realize that life inside the prison is not easy as they think. From these experiences, people can have an
understanding and be aware of what would life be like inside the jail and may develop a more productive
consciousness of one’s life.
Keywords--- ex-convicts, inmates, prisoners, imprisonment, phenomenological approach, qualitative research
©2023, Cognizance Journal, cognizancejournal.com, All Rights Reserved 42

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I. INTRODUCTION
In every state across the world, laws and regulations are being imposed to limit and control the behavior of
the people, and promote a set of habits within the society. For thousands of years, these laws and regulations have
protected the society’s general safety and have ensured the rights of the citizens against abuses by other people,
organizations, and by the government itself. When individuals violate these laws and regulations, they face fines,
injunctions, damages, or worse -- imprisonment. Accordingly, individuals who have been found guilty of a criminal
offense, following a trial, guilty or plea of nolo contender, are called convicts. [1]
These people are the ones who experience being in prison following with their crimes committed and they
are sentenced for months or even years. In prison, they undergo under different processes that may lead to that
individual’s retribution, incapacitation, deterrence and rehabilitation. Retribution means punishment for crimes
against society. Depriving criminals of freedom is one way of making these individuals pay a debt to society.
Incapacitation refers to the removal of criminals from society so that these individuals can no longer harm innocent
people. Deterrence means the prevention of future crime. It is hoped that prisons provide warnings to people
thinking about committing crimes, and that the possibility of going to prison will discourage people from breaking
the law. Rehabilitation refers to activities designed to change criminals into law abiding citizens, and may include
providing educational courses in prison, teaching job skills and offering counseling with a psychologist or social
worker. Accordingly, longer and harsher prison sentences can increase the possibility of a personality change of a
prisoner. [2,3]
To an inmate, contact with the outside world is of great importance. Being in a closed institution is very
inconvenient and leads to people having psychological difficulties and penitentiary stress. Most inmates find it
difficult to adapt to their environment which is closely spaced and adapt to the routine of the penitentiary
establishment, and therefore their complete isolation is inadmissible, and maintaining the connection with the
outside world is of great importance in this process. The popular catchphrase in Myanmar prisons which is, ―News
is more important than curry‖, encapsulates this idea of maintaining connection. It emphasizes the importance of
having contact with the outside world during imprisonment. It expresses the value that prisoners place on having
visited and accessing media, on knowing what goes on in society, and about the processes that affect their freedom.
Moreover, it stresses the significance of staying in touch with family and friends for surviving emotionally and
mentally inside the prison. By using this catchphrase prioritizing news over curry, the use of the phrase illustrates
the way news – like food – can sustain a prisoner otherwise cut off from the world at large. It is a strong statement,
which reminds us that contact is fundamental to human beings and therefore also a human right, like the right to
food. [4]
Without maintaining contact, inmates feel deeply affected by the lack of physical comfort, privacy, and
safety, as well as the brutal treatment they receive from prison guards. Overall, there was a widespread sense of
medical and psychological stress. During the initial weeks of an inmates’ stay, some reported that they had a lot of
personal inquiries, but no one seemed to be available to address them [5].
The dehumanization of prisoners is a particularly interesting case to investigate because prisoners are often
seen, by their transgressions, to have removed themselves from moral society [6]. They have broken the social
contract by dint of criminal activity, and harsh punishment becomes permissible or even preferred. Not only are
prisoners often stripped of fundamental human faculties in ways typical of dehumanization [7], but stronger
dehumanizing judgments about prisoners tend to generate harsher punishments. In mock jury situations, including
degrading language in victim impact statements exacerbates punitive verdicts toward offenders. Individuals who
dehumanize criminals or inmates more strongly urge harsher sanctions and even violence against them. This
tendency to seek harsh punishments is exacerbated for criminals who committed morally outrageous crimes [8].

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However, despite widespread agreement that inmates are dehumanized, it is uncertain if or how
dehumanization will alter over time. One explanation is that as inmates near freedom, people dehumanize them even
more. Dehumanizing responses may be triggered by the increased psychological threat of a prisoner's imminent
release. Despite what may appear intuitively, previous research has revealed that danger and dehumanization are two
distinct entities that each contribute to intergroup conflict in their unique way [9,10]. Perhaps prison itself is seen as
a dehumanizing institution, meaning that the longer one serves, the more one is seen as lacking humanlike
capacities, becoming more like a (threatening) animal throughout a prison sentence. However, dehumanization is
instead more commonly associated with disgust, rather than a threat, responses [11,12].
Like other forms of incarceration, imprisonment is a significantly stressful event for an individual. Despite
the coping ability and adaptability of humans, events such as these can change a person’s biophysical balance to
such an extent that the memory of a particular negative event overshadows all other experiences and affects the
ability to cope with reality [13]. Being condemned to prison might be one of the most stressful and depressing
experiences inmates can have. During their time in prison, the offenders tend to relive the moments of their crime.
This can make them feel guilty and remorseful. Constantly having these thoughts may result in severe depression
[14].
On the other hand, inmates cope and adjust to imprisonment differently depending on: their personality, in
particular, their dispositional position regarding hope and optimism; their ability to fashion a routine that gives their
lives meaning and purpose; their ability to submit to the prison regime yet retain a sense of autonomy and control
over their lives; the quality of their family contact; and the opportunities to avail of work and education [15].
Moreover, the inmates coping mechanism may also involves seeking social and emotional support, searching for
new meaning, and avoidance methods like avoiding risky situations, resting as much as possible, and using
medications [5].
With the aforementioned scenarios, the researchers were prompted to conduct a study to find out if the
Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) in the City of Surigao, Philippines have experienced change while they were in
prison, especially in their behavior and personality. Specifically, it aimed to describe their experiences while in jail
and determine the significant events that led to a changed life inside the jail and their coping mechanisms inside the
jail and even outside after imprisonment.
II. METHODS
This study was undertaken using qualitative research approach, specifically drawing understanding of
phenomenology. It utilized Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological method in describing the phenomenon of the
lived experiences of PDL which started with expression and description of their lived experiences so that the
phenomenological story, which Giorgi calls ―life text‖, could be created. [16]
Five (5) PDL from Surigao City jail Philippines were purposefully chosen as the informants of this study
with the criterion of 3 to 5 years of imprisonment. The informants’ confidentiality was given priority and their
names were concealed to hide their identity. A researchers-made interview guide questionnaire was used as
instrument of the study subjected to validation by experts in the field of sociology, philosophy, psychology,
education, language, and research. The data were collected through virtual in-depth interviews.
To analyze the data, Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenology method was used as follows: transcribing the
responses from the recorded virtual interview, reading the transcriptions to get sense of the whole response by each
informant, establishing the meaning units, transforming the meaning units into psychological sensitive expressions,
and determining the structure or descriptive language and phenomenon [16]. The 5 informants were coded A, B, C,

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D, and E. For example, A1 refers to the first statement-response of informant A. The researchers scrutinized the
extraction of the level of essence evident in the texts classified as concepts and these concepts were grouped
together to summarize more abstract principles termed as categories. Then, the themes encapsulating the principal
metaphor in the text as a whole were referred in this study as the global themes. The 5 informants were informed of
the 4 global themes to verify the results.
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
All the transcriptions of the informants were read several times by the researchers in order for them to be
immersed with the informants’ feelings. Significant meaning units were extracted from the interview transcripts
leading to the desired research phenomena. Concepts were constructed from the psychological meaning units were
arranged into categories which then involves into themes. Results were incorporated into a rich and extensive
description of the informants’ lived experiences.
From the interview transcript, 108 significant meaning units were extracted which evolve into the
development of 108 psychological meaning units reflecting into the lived experiences of change of ex-convicts.
From these psychological meaning units, 23 concepts were drawn (Appendix 1). These 23 concepts were classified
into 5 categories (Appendix 2), and lastly, 4 global themes emerged from these 5 categories as shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Themes Based on the Categories Constructed from the Informants’ Lived Experiences
REFERENCE NUMBERS CATEGORIES THEMES
A1, A24, A25, D1, D3, D8, E8, E9 Person Deprived of liberty (PDL)
B1, B2, B3, B24, C5, C6, C7, D9 experiences how imprisonment made CONNECTIONS
E12 them long for their family  Having a connection from
B22, B39, B40, B41, B42, B43 the outside strengthens a
D10, D11 The concern and affection that their prisoner’s conviction to
B25 friends and family give them have change
A19, E14, E15 strengthened them.
A11, A15, A23, A26, E7
B23
A29, A5, C8, C9, D2 Imprisonment led the Person Deprived SELF-REFLECTION
A9, A10 of liberty (PDL) to self-reflect and it  Imprisonment leads people
A2, A12, A13 made them change themselves to reflect about their lives
and their past mistakes
A8, B19, C4, D4, E5, E6
A30, A31, A32
A33, E1
B4, B5, B6, B7, B32, B33, B34, B35, DIFFICULTIES AND
B8, B9, B26, B27, B38, D12, D13, CHALLENGES
Person Deprived of liberty (PDL)  Person Deprived of liberty
B10, B11 undergo Hardships inside and even (PDL) have faced many
E10, E11, E13 outside the prison hardships while in prison
A6, A7, C1 and even after being
imprisoned
A17, A22, A18, A20, A21
B14, B20, C2, C3, D6, D7, E2, E3 ADAPTING FOR SURVIVAL
B15, B16, B17, B18, B36, B37  Person Deprived of liberty
Person Deprived of liberty (PDL) (PDL) experience how to
B12, B13, B21, B28, B29, B30, B31 learned how to adapt inside the prison adapt to their environment
to survive

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Connections. Having a connection from the outside strengthens a prisoner’s conviction to change. Every prisoner
inside the jail long for a connection to the outside world especially with their family, friends and those people who
are special for them. Accordingly, there is mounting evidence that keeping family links and offering family
assistance to inmates not only promotes their overall health but also facilitates their reintegration into society, lowers
the likelihood of recidivism, and lowers the risk of intergenerational crime [17]. These are the facts that somehow
gives strength to the prisoners who longs for their family to support them and visits them. These claims are
supported from the responses of the following informant:
“Believes that visitation inside the jail is one of the things that can relieve their stress” B39
“Emphasizes that it is visits from their family that gives them happiness” B40
Moreover, family also leads inmates or Person Deprived of liberty (PDL) to loneliness as they miss them
much in their years in prison. This is one of the reasons why inmates or Person Deprived of liberty (PDL)
experience problems in the jail. Missing loved ones, prisoners feel loneliness as they are isolated from their family
and loved ones. They recall the days spent outside prison. These thoughts of loneliness create the mental conditions
of anxiety and depression [14].
In addition, without maintaining contact, inmates feel deeply affected by the lack of physical comfort, privacy, and
safety, as well as the brutal treatment they receive from prison guards. Overall, there was a widespread sense of
medical and psychological stress. During the initial weeks of an inmates’ stay, some reported that they had a lot of
personal inquiries, but no one seemed to be available to address them [5]. These claims are supported from the
responses of the following informants:
“States that in those days where he felt lonely are days wherein he realized that he needed his family” A25
“States that gets easily angered whenever he misses his family” B3
“Shares how she misses her family every day since she cannot see them every day” C5
Self-reflection. Imprisonment leads people to reflect about their lives and their past mistakes. Discovering the
reality for yourself and thinking things through are awakening. That is one of the aspects of realizing everything you
have done in the past and try to reason it out makes you realize if your actions are good or bad. Longer and harsher
prison sentences can mean that prisoners’ personalities will be changed in ways that make their reintegration
difficult,
Despite relative stability our habits of thought, behavior and emotion do change in significant and
consequential ways – especially in response to the different roles that we adopt as we go through life [18]. It is
almost inevitable then that time spent as a prisoner, in a highly structured yet socially threatening environment, is
bound to lead to significant personality changes. In realizing everything it make sense that you also wanted to do
changes and that’s the best things that we can find by realizing on things especially with their actions in the past.
Being in prison can help inmates to realize the actions they did outside the jail, it pictures out the things which
events made them guilty being in prison and also in prison they experience and know how to pray. These claims are
“Shares that because of what he has realized, he decided to change himself” A15
“Shares that because of those experiences and realizations, he started reading the bible” A30
Moreover, prisoners really regret everything what they have done in the past and made them realize that it
is good not to do it again if they have the chance to be release in prison. Others would believe that when they realize
everything they want to experience being in change. Feelings of shame, on the other hand, involve a painful feeling
directed toward the self. For some people, feelings of shame lead to a defensive response, a denial of responsibility,

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and a need to blame others — a process that can lead to aggression [19]. Everything that the inmates done in the past
they feel shame to face the community where he commits crimes. During their time in prison, the offenders tend to
relive the moments of their crime. This can make them feel guilty and remorseful. Constantly having these thoughts
may result in severe depression [14]. Both the knowledge of having committed a crime and the knowledge of being
imprisoned instilled feelings of shame and remorse in the participants. The awareness of guilt and the reality of
being imprisoned led to moments of despair and a general loss of meaning in life. These deep feelings of despair that
accompany guilt and the loss of meaning appear to be quite common among the inmates [5]. These claims are
supported from the responses of the following informants:
“States that he realized the severity of his actions while in rehab and because of it, he started changing” A29
“States how she regrets what she has done that brought her to prison” C8
“Shares how she should’ve held herself back so as to not worsen things and end up in jail” C9
Difficulties and Challenges. Ex-convicts have faced many hardships while in prison and even after being
imprisoned. Inmates or ex-convicts have experienced struggles and difficulties while inside the jail whether it is
psychological or being stress mentally and physically. Prisoners experience extreme physical and emotional stress,
which can cause psychological changes that can result in depression. These claims are supported from the responses
of the following informants:
“Shows how hard it is inside the jail” B10
“Believes that imprisonment is not easy especially when there is no one who visits you” B38
“Believes that life inside was truly difficult” D12
“Relays how he regretted being imprisoned and how life inside the prison is truly hard” B26
Moreover, because of the population of the inmates inside the jail, the food also was being budgeted for the
inmates in order for more inmates can eat food. Some inmates rely what difficulties they experience inside the jail,
some would say the lacking of food that is being budgeted and the supply of water inside. The amount of food
provided to detainees is insufficient due to the thousands increase in the jail population [20]. These claims are
“Adds that the food they eat inside is controlled and limited” B5
“States that the amount of food that they give them is not enough for him” B6
Adapting for Survival. Ex-convicts experience how to adapt to their environment to survive. Following
the rules, showing respect to other prisoners and made rules to help others inside the prison, they do that to adapt
with their surroundings and to adapt the lifestyle inside the prison. Transition into prison was a difficult experience
for the prisoners. The prisoners needed a number of psychological resources in order to cope with this transitional
period [21]. That’s the reason that prisoners inside wanted to establish in following rules and respecting each other
in order for them to experience peace and can experience positive change. Respect is very important in prison and
must be maintained. Hence, prisoners wanted to respect each other and help others so that they can be able to
respond or adapt things inside the jail. These claims are supported from the responses of the following informant:
“Believes that the rules exist because they are one of the things that helps in changing oneself” B20
“Emphasizes how you need to be patient inside” B12
“Emphasizes how respect and discipline is needed inside the jail” B21
Moreover, most inmates find it difficult to adapt to their environment which is closely spaced and adapt to
the routine of the penitentiary establishment, and therefore their complete isolation is inadmissible, and maintaining

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the connection with the outside world is of great importance in this process. This claim is supported from the
response of the following informant:
“Believes that there a lot of challenges inside and one must learn how to adapt” B27
The changes that inmates or Person Deprived of Liberty (PDL) experience inside the jail has been the
experience that leads them into a good person in the making. Through these experiences they are able to know their
limitation and they learned that these experiences can help them to achieve positive changes in their life. These
claims are supported from the responses of the following informant:
“Shows how he change inside for the third time when he was in prison” A11
“Decided to change himself inside” A15
“Believes that a lot of things changed while he was away with his family” B23
IV. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Based on the findings, 23 concepts were formulated from significant meaning units. The concepts were
categorized into 5 propositions and from these categories, 4 themes were extracted such as Connection, Self-
reflection, Difficulties and Challenges, and Adapting for Survival. These findings provide an important foundation
from which to increase public awareness and to understand that the experiences among Persons Deprived of Liberty
(PDL) inside the jail is not easy as the other people think. Moreover, it strives to contribute to the people the
knowledge about the experiences when they are inside the jail and on how these experiences change them into a
good person. These experiences include both positive and negative experiences which contributed to the changed
life of PDL. Despite the hardships they encountered in jail, they have learned to pray seriously and know God in a
deeper way.
This study illumined new insights about the phenomenon of the experiences among PDL by providing
public awareness about their experience of change during their incarceration, help young individuals to avoid
criminal acts that they may regret in the future, help the people understand better their different experiences inside
the jail and on how they cope up with those experiences to be a better person, encourage people not to judge them
based from their past actions, but rather support them and love them, motivate inmates inside the jail to follow the
rules so they would have a peaceful life and hopefully, experience change inside, and finally, help the inmates to
have a more meaningful life as they experience the changes inside the jail.
Furthermore, it is recommended to other researchers to conduct a similar study but in a face-to-face in-
depth interview with informants and considering other PDL from a more crowded jail to get a wider perspective and
understanding of their experiences inside the jail.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The researchers are thankful to the five informants who willingly responded and gave their time to share
their experiences, to the expert validators of the instrument who unselfishly shared their time and expertise in
improving the tool of the study, and to Sr. Marie Rosanne Mallillin, SPC, President of Saint Paul University Surigao
for the unending support and financial assistance given to them.

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APPENDICES
Appendix 1. Concepts Derived from the Informants’ Transcripts
Reference Number Psychological Transformed Units Concepts
A1 A He experience boredom since there wasn’t anything much to do inside the jail
A24 A shares that those days with no one visits him are lonely
A25 A states that in those days where he felt lonely are days wherein he realized that he
needed his family
D1 D emphasizes how loneliness is the thing she can’t forget the most inside Person Deprived of
liberty (PDL)
D3 D concludes that regret and loneliness are the things she can’t forget while in prison experiences loneliness
inside the prison
D8 D emphasizes that she felt loneliness inside
E8 E shares how life inside was boring compared to being outside
E9 E emphasizes the difference of life outside, compared to inside
B1 B states that he has a lot of unforgettable experiences whilst in prison
B2 B shares that he especially remembers those times inside the prison wherein he was
feeling chaotic/ impatient
B3 B states that gets easily angered whenever he misses his family Person Deprived of
liberty (PDL) longs for
B24 B adds how he greatly misses his son during his imprisonment their family while they
were in prison
C5 C shares how she misses her family every day since she cannot see them everyday
C6 C states how she misses her mother since she rarely visits her because of work
C7 C adds that another reason of her mother’s rare visits is their financial situation
D9 D shares how she misses her family, especially her mother with whom she was
separated for years
E12 E shares how limited his interactions was with his family when he was imprisoned Person Deprived of
liberty (PDL) rarely
gets visits inside
A11 A states that during the last time he was imprisoned, which is also the third time,
was when he started to change
A15 A shares that because of what he has realized, he decided to change himself
Imprisonment made
A23 A believes that he had gone significant change prisoners change
themselves
A26 A adds that it was also in those times that he decided to change once he gets out of
jail
E7 E states how being imprisoned made him fear doing illegal/ bad things

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B23 B states that a lot of things changed while he was away from his family
Change happens with
time
A29 A states that he realized the severity of his actions while in rehab and because of it,
he started changing
A5 A observes that some prisoners show repentance
C8 C states how she regrets what she has done that brought her to prison
Imprisonment induces
C9 C shares how she should’ve held herself back so as to not worsen things and end up self-reflection
in jail
D2 D adds that another thing she remembers are her regrets in life
A9 A states that at first, he didn't learn from his mistakes

Learning form
A10 A adds that during the second time he was imprisoned, he still didn’t learn mistakes takes time
A2 A observes that people inside are aimless
A12 A shares that he started questioning himself about what he’s doing with his life now Aimlessness is
that he’s getting older prevalent inside the
prison
A13 A adds that he has nowhere to go
A8 A shares that he experienced being imprisoned three times already
B19 B shares his opinion of how some rules inside the jail do not affect them and also
added that as inmates, they should also try to understand why these rules were set and
learn to accept them Person Deprived of
liberty (PDL) consider
C4 C states how she has a lot of knowledge about life inside the jail their imprisonment as
an unforgettable
D4 D states that she cannot forget her experience of being imprisoned for a few years experience
E5 E recounts his years of imprisonment and rehabilitation
E6 E states the year he was imprisoned
A30 A shares that because of those experiences and realizations, he started reading the
bible Person Deprived of
liberty (PDL) learned
A31 A adds that he also started praying before and after meals praying in prison
A32 A adds again that he also started praying before going to bed
A33 A shares that his experiences inside the prison made him learn religious practices
Person Deprived of
E1 E shares how one of the unforgettable experiences that he has while being imprisoned liberty (PDL) seeks
was of worshipping God God inside the prison
B4 B adds that one of the contributing factors to him being chaotic/impatient is the food
that they consume inside
B5 B adds that the food they eat inside is controlled and limited

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B6 B states that the amount of food that they give them is not enough for him
B7 B relays that the situation then was different from when he was free wherein, he can
eat whatever he wants Food is limited inside
the prison
B32 B reminisces about his experience pertaining to food
B33 B shares that there are certain foods that you can eat while you were free that you
cannot eat while being imprisoned
B34 B states how one cannot be choosy about the food inside
B35 B emphasizes how their actions are limited inside the jail
B8 B shares another contributing factor to him being chaotic/impatient is the lack of

sufficient water supply
B9 B details that it was especially hard whenever they do their laundry because of the
insufficient water supply
B26 B relays how he regretted being imprisoned and how life inside the prison is truly
hard
B27 B believes that there a lot of challenges inside and one must learn how to adapt Person Deprived of
liberty (PDL)
B38 B believes that imprisonment is not easy especially when there is no one who visits experience hardships
you inside prison
D12 D believes that life inside was truly difficult
D13 D states how living was difficult because of how hot it is inside due to the structure of
the facility
B10 B adds that there isn’t even enough water when they use the comfort room
B11 B shares that to use the water efficiently, they prioritize the use of it for the comfort
room and since a lot of them use it, one must move fast
E10 E states how life with his family outside is different from his life inside the jail
E11 E emphasizes how different his life is before he was imprisoned wherein he can be Life inside and outside
with his family everyday of prison is different
E13 E states his experience of being visited by his family before covid
B22 B shares that above all, it was his family whom he constantly thought of while inside
B39 B believes that visitation inside the jail is one of the things that can relieve their
stress
B40 B emphasizes that it is visits from their family that gives them happiness
Visits from people
B41 B shares how his family didn’t lose hope in him and still continued to visit outside brings
happiness to the
B42 B states how his family did not neglect him even after all the things that he did before prisoners

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he was imprisoned
B43 B believes that it is his family and God that helped him get through his day-to-day
life inside
D10 D states how she bonded with his family when she was freed
Making most of their
D11 D emphasizes how satisfying their bonding was time after being
imprisoned
B25 B states that it is family that gives you the strength to live on day by day
Family strengthens
prisoners
B14 B relays that he has made an effort of following all the jail rules and policies
B20 B believes that the rules exist because they are one of the things that helps in
changing oneself
C2 C believes that she has followed the rules inside the jail
Prison rules and
C3 C believes that if she does not follow the rules inside, she will be punished regulations changes
prisoners
D6 D states how she follow the rules inside
D7 D states how the rules affected her and how there is nothing much to do inside
compared to her lifestyle before
E2 E believes that he has followed the rules inside the jail
E3 E believes that life for him inside, was okay
B15 B adds that he follows the rules diligently because he was installed as the secretary
and treasurer of their cell
B16 B states that they, the officers, are the ones who implement all the rules inside, except Person Deprived of
the rules set by the jail officers liberty (PDL) who
were trustees before,
B17 B shares that they, the officers, follow and implement the rules because they are create rules that will
aware of how the inmates can be help their fellow
inmates
B18 B relays that they, the officers, implement additional rules aside from the rules given
by the jail officers in order to help their fellow inmates
B36 B states how there were a lot of rules inside especially on illegal vices
B37 B gives an example of prohibitions of vices inside the jail
B12 B emphasizes how you need to be patient inside
B13 B believes that you can easily find trouble if you yourself do not make an effort of
avoiding it
Showing respect and
B21 B emphasizes how respect and discipline is needed inside the jail being patient to your
fellow inmates is
B28 B gives his opinion about how one should view their fellow inmates equally important

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B29 B adds that the reason you should view your fellow inmates equally is because the
population is composed of people with diverse personalities
B30 B gives specific examples of personalities that can be found inside
B31 B adds that there are inmates inside with tough personalities due to their chaotic and
impatient feelings
A22 A states that they saw how he changed and how his father’s family embraced those
changes
A17 A admits that some would not accept him because he was an inmate before
A18 A adds that there are also those who say good things about him along with those
people who say bad things
Person Deprived of
A20 A shares an example from an experience before within his fathers’ family liberty (PDL)
experiences
A21 A observes that they use to fear him discrimination from
people
A19 A concludes that most of the people would say good things
E14 E states how he is content with his current life and work
Person Deprived of
E15 E believes his co-workers have never looked down on him liberty (PDL) are
accepted by people
round them
A6 A shares an experience wherein he almost engaged in a fight inside the jail
A7 A relays that the reason for almost engaging in a fight was because of unfounded
stories Fights often happen
inside the prison
C1 C relays her experiences how she used to fight with others a lot even if it is early in
the morning
Appendix 2. Categories of the Concepts of the Informants’ Lived Experiences

Reference Number Concepts Categories
A1, A24, A25, D1, D3, Person Deprived of liberty (PDL) experiences loneliness inside the prison
D8, E8, E9 Person Deprived of
B1, B2, B3, B24, C5, C6, Person Deprived of liberty (PDL) longs for their family while they were in prison liberty (PDL) experiences
C7, D9 how imprisonment made
E12 Person Deprived of liberty (PDL) rarely gets visits inside them long for their family
B22, B39, B40, B41, B42, Visits from people outside brings happiness to the prisoners
B43
D10, D11 Making most of their time after being imprisoned The concern and
affection that their friends
B25 Family strengthens prisoners and family give them,
strengthens them
A19, E14, E15 Person Deprived of liberty (PDL) are accepted by people round them

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A11, A15, A23, A26, E7 Imprisonment made prisoners change themselves
B23 Change happens with time
A29, A5, C8, C9, D2

Imprisonment induces self-reflection
Imprisonment led the
A9, A10 Learning form mistakes takes time Person Deprived of
liberty (PDL) to self-
A2, A12, A13 Aimlessness is prevalent inside the prison reflect and it made them
change themselves
A8, B19, C4, D4, E5, E6 Person Deprived of liberty (PDL) considers their imprisonment as an
unforgettable experience
A30, A31, A32 Person Deprived of liberty (PDL) learned praying in prison
A33, E1 Person Deprived of liberty (PDL) seeks God inside the prison
B4, B5, B6, B7, B32, B33, Food is limited inside the prison
B34, B35
B8, B9, B26, B27, B38, Person Deprived of liberty (PDL) experience hardships inside prison
D12, D13, B10, B11 Person Deprived of
liberty (PDL) undergo
E10, E11, E13 Life inside and outside of prison is different Hardships inside and
even outside the prison
A17, A22 Person Deprived of liberty (PDL) experiences discrimination from people
A18, A20, A21
A6, A7, C1 Fights often happen inside the prison
B14, B20, C2, C3, D6, D7, Prison rules and regulations changes prisoners
E2, E3
B15, B16, B17, B18, B36, Ex-convicts who were trustees before, create rules that will help their fellow
B37 inmates Ex-convicts learned how
to adapt inside the prison
B12, B13, B21, B28, B29, Showing respect and being patient to your fellow inmates is important
B30, B31
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THE LIFE IN JAIL: LIVED EXPERIENCES OF PERSONS DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY

Article · March 2023

Jenny C. Cano Fr. Gun Real Lademora Omega

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Liza Lisondra Chua

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Impact Factor: 4.843

Index Copernicus Value (ICV) = 76.35

THE LIFE IN JAIL: LIVED

Keywords--- ex-convicts, inmates, prisoners, imprisonment, phenomenological approach, qualitative research

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Impact Factor: 4.843

Index Copernicus Value (ICV) = 76.35

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Impact Factor: 4.843

Index Copernicus Value (ICV) = 76.35

©2023, Cognizance Journal, cognizancejournal.com, All Rights Reserved 44

Impact Factor: 4.843

Index Copernicus Value (ICV) = 76.35

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Impact Factor: 4.843

Index Copernicus Value (ICV) = 76.35

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Impact Factor: 4.843

Index Copernicus Value (ICV) = 76.35

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Impact Factor: 4.843

Index Copernicus Value (ICV) = 76.35

IV. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

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Impact Factor: 4.843

Index Copernicus Value (ICV) = 76.35

E8 E shares how life inside was boring compared to being outside

E9 E emphasizes the difference of life outside, compared to inside

B1 B states that he has a lot of unforgettable experiences whilst in prison

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Impact Factor: 4.843

Index Copernicus Value (ICV) = 76.35

A5 A observes that some prisoners show repentance

A9 A states that at first, he didn't learn from his mistakes

A2 A observes that people inside are aimless

A8 A shares that he experienced being imprisoned three times already

E5 E recounts his years of imprisonment and rehabilitation

E6 E states the year he was imprisoned

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Impact Factor: 4.843

Index Copernicus Value (ICV) = 76.35

B8 B shares another contributing factor to him being chaotic/impatient is the lack of

D12 D believes that life inside was truly difficult

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Impact Factor: 4.843

Index Copernicus Value (ICV) = 76.35

E2 E believes that he has followed the rules inside the jail

E3 E believes that life for him inside, was okay

B37 B gives an example of prohibitions of vices inside the jail

B12 B emphasizes how you need to be patient inside

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Impact Factor: 4.843

Index Copernicus Value (ICV) = 76.35

B30 B gives specific examples of personalities that can be found inside