Institutional Correction: Penology, Systems, and Practices

This study material provides a high-level overview of Institutional Correction, encompassing penology, correctional systems, inmate management, and legal frameworks, primarily within the Philippine context.

Introduction to Penology and Correction

Penology is the scientific study of punishment for crime and criminal offenders, focusing on prison management, treatment, and the philosophy behind society's efforts to repress criminal activities. Derived from the Latin "POENA" (pain/suffering/punishment), it is also known as Penal Science and is one of the three divisions of criminology, alongside Sociology of Law and Criminal Etiology.

Correction is a branch of the Criminal Justice System concerned with the custody, supervision, and rehabilitation of offenders. It involves the administration of justice to prevent crime and control offenders, encompassing all government agencies, facilities, programs, and personnel involved in the investigation, custody, and treatment of alleged offenders. As a process, correction aims to reorient offenders to prevent recidivism through individual measures of reformation rather than solely punitive actions.

Correctional interventions are categorized as either Institutional, occurring within penal establishments like jails and prisons (e.g., BJMP, BuCor), or Non-Institutional, provided in the community (e.g., parole, probation, executive clemencies). Corrections typically enter the criminal justice picture when an accused's conviction becomes final (issuance of MITTIMUS) or for temporary custody/detention (issuance of COMMITMENT ORDER).

Historical Development of Correctional Thought and Practice

The history of corrections reveals a progression from harsh, punitive measures to more humane and rehabilitative approaches. Early practices included "securing sanctuary" in churches, the "benefit of clergy" (exemption from criminal punishment), and the prevalence of torture and death penalty in the 14th-18th centuries. Early forms of confinement included Gaols (jails), Galleys (ships for forced labor), and Hulks (abandoned warships). Notable early prisons globally include Mamertine Prison, Bridewell Workhouse, Wallnut Street Jail (first American penitentiary), Maison de Force, Hospice of San Michele, Sing-Sing Prison, Alcatraz, and Devil's Island. In the Philippines, early systems were tribal, leading to the establishment of the First Bilibid Prison in 1847.

Schools of Thought in Correction

Classical School: Emerged as a protest against judicial abuses, viewing man as a free moral agent responsible for his acts. Advocated for fixed punishments determined by the legislature, emphasizing fairness and easy administration but criticized for its lack of individualization.
Neo-Classical School: Modified the Classical School by allowing judges some discretion in sentencing, recognizing factors like exempting circumstances and partial responsibility.
Positive School (Italian School): Contended that crime is a natural phenomenon and criminals might not be fully responsible for their acts, shifting focus to the individual and non-punitive reactions.
Modern Clinical School: Focuses on the personality of the criminal to understand conditioning circumstances and determine appropriate handling.

Pioneers of Correctional Reform

Key figures include William Penn (advocated imprisonment as correctional treatment, religious freedom), Charles Montesquieu (harsh punishment undermines morality), Voltaire (fear of shame as deterrent), Cesare Beccaria ("An Essay on Crimes and Punishment," "LET THE PUNISHMENT FIT THE CRIME"), Jeremy Bentham (utilitarianism, proposed the Panopticon Prison), John Howard (prison reform, single cells, sanitation), Alexander Macanochie (Mark System for conditional release), and Sir Walter Crofton (Irish System, Father of Parole). The period between 1870-1880 is considered the Golden Age of Penology, marked by the establishment of correctional associations and reformatories like Elmira.

Correctional Systems and Facilities in the Philippines

The Philippine prison system is patterned after the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons. It distinguishes between Jails (for minor offenses, short sentences, or detention, under BJMP/DILG) and Prisons (for major offenses, longer sentences, under BuCor/DOJ). Jails include Lock-up Jails, Ordinary Jails, and Workhouses/Jail Farms. Prisons are classified by security level: Maximum, Medium, and Minimum Security.

Major Correctional Facilities (BuCor)

New Bilibid Prison (Muntinlupa City): The central facility, with Maximum, Medium (Camp Sampaguita), and Minimum (Camp Bukang Liwayway) Security Compounds, specializing in vocational training.
Correctional Institution for Women (Mandaluyong City): The only female institution in the Philippines.
Other penal farms include San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm (Zamboanga del Sur), Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm (Palawan), Leyte Regional Prison (Abuyog, Leyte), Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm (Mindoro Occidental), and Davao Prison and Penal Farm (Tagum, Davao del Norte).

Inmate Management and Classification

Inmates are classified based on their sentence, gender, age, nationality, health, and criminal records. The admission process involves receiving, checking commitment papers, identification/booking (fingerprints, photos), thorough searching (including body cavity searches for contraband), briefing on rules, issuing uniforms, and assignment to a quarantine unit for medical screening. The Bureau of Corrections Directorate for Reception and Diagnostics (RDC), staffed by psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists, and other professionals, assesses new prisoners to determine appropriate treatment and training programs.

Inmates are also classified for privileges, such as Colonist status, which grants benefits like sentence commutation, civilian clothes, and family visits for good conduct.

Punishment and Rehabilitation

Punishment serves various purposes: Retribution (offenders deserve it), Expiation/Atonement (appeasing society), Deterrence (preventing future crimes), Incapacitation/Protection (safeguarding the public), and Reformation/Rehabilitation (restoring usefulness). Ancient forms included death penalty (burning, beheading), physical torture, social degradation, pillory, and banishment (DESTIERRO). Modern penalties include various durations of imprisonment (e.g., Reclusion Perpetua, Prision Mayor), fines, parole, and probation.

Treatment Programs

Institutionalized treatment programs aim for rehabilitation through Prison Education, Work/Livelihood Programs, Industrial/Agricultural Programs, Religious/Spiritual Services, Sports/Recreational Programs, and Medical and Health Services. These programs transform passive information into active learning by providing skills, moral guidance, and physical/mental well-being.

Legal Frameworks and Allowances

The Philippine Constitution mandates Due Process of Law and Equal Protection of the Laws in imposing punishment. Penalties must be productive of suffering (without violating human rights), commensurate with the offense, personal, legal, certain, equal, and correctional.

Key legal provisions, particularly from the Revised Penal Code (Act No. 3815) and its amendments (RA 10592), govern sentence deductions:

Preventive Imprisonment: Time spent in detention is credited towards the sentence, especially if the detainee agrees to abide by disciplinary rules.
Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA): Deductions from sentence for good behavior, with increasing days per month for longer periods of imprisonment. RA 10592 significantly increased these deductions.
Special Time Allowance for Loyalty (STAL): Deductions for loyalty, such as surrendering within 48 hours after evading sentence during a calamity, or choosing to stay in confinement despite a calamity.

These allowances are granted by the Director of BuCor, Chief of BJMP, or jail wardens and, once granted, cannot be revoked.