CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATION 1
(INSTITUTIONAL BASED CORRECTION)
MODULE 3 MODERN PRISONS
Pre-module Questions
1. Name some correctional facilities in the Philippines that you know.
2. In your own words, differentiate jail and prison.
MODERN PRISONS
18th Century
Until the late 18th century, prisons were used primarily for the confinement of debtors,
persons accused of crimes and awaiting trial, and convicts awaiting the imposition of
their sentences—usually death or transportation (deportation) overseas. A sentence
of imprisonment was rarely imposed—and then only for minor crimes.
As the use of capital punishment began to decline in the late 18th century, the prison
was increasingly used by courts as a place of punishment, eventually becoming the
chief means of punishing serious offenders. The use of imprisonment subsequently
spread worldwide, often by means of colonial empires that brought the practice to
countries with no indigenous concept of prisons.
Today, prison design mostly incorporates direct or indirect supervision: Rather than
isolating inmates in cells in a linear fashion, the facility consists of “pods” clustered
around a central monitoring station. Inmates spend most of their time in common
areas, with corrections officers continuously monitoring their behavior and interacting
with them directly.
In addition to enhancing inmate and staff safety, jails designed around pods are
thought to be more cost-effective and foster a more positive, rehabilitative
environment for inmates.
Alcatraz Prison "the rock" it is an island in San Francisco bay it is the site of
noted for its in human treatment tortures. The former federal Prison for military
convicts was considered as escape proof prisons because of its structure and
cold current in the surrounding water. Also considered as the 1st prison without
walls, it was closed in 1863 because of high maintenance.
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19th Century
Modern prison design has its roots in the first “prison boom,” which started in the
late 1700s. Under the influence of the Catholic Church, communities had increasingly
begun to rely on imprisonment as punishment, rather than the previously used tactics
of death, mutilation or exile. In England, prison construction was driven by the fact
that authorities could no longer merely banish offenders to America; the Revolution
had put a stop to that. In America, expanding civilization and the development of
criminal law drove a similar construction boom.
The Gaols Act of 1823 introduced the concept of classification of inmates, and
prison design during this time reflected the concept. Prison architects began to
include varied geometric shapes in their designs, including rectangles, squares and
circles.
The most famous prison design of this period is the Panopticon, envisioned by
prison reform activist Jeremy Bentham. The Panopticon concept was a circular
building with inmate cells built on the outside wall, with the keeper’s gallery rising in
the center. This allowed the keepers to observe the prisoners, but not to be observed
by them. Bentham even went so far as to suggest that inmates would not need to be
under a constant supervision because they would not know when they were being
observed, so they would be compelled to behave at all times.
Elevation, section and plan of Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon penitentiary, drawn by
Willey Reveley, 1791.
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In the United States, only a few prisons were built in the Panopticon tradition.
“Stateville,” built with inmate labor in Illinois between 1916 and 1924, is probably the
most well-known. The central guard tower had underground access so additional
officers could get to any cellblock in which there was a disturbance. Despite
Bentham’s grand vision for a revolutionary prison design that would drastically reduce
prison costs while enhancing inmate reform through menial labor, the Panopticon was
not conducive to proper housing of prisoners. Ventilation was poor and the cells were
damp, leading to disease and in turn, a high mortality rate. Overcrowding prevented
the solitary confinement of unruly prisoners and eventually the prison was demolished.
The Panopticon design did, however, influence the next major design concept:
radial design. This design retains Bentham’s central building housing the keeper, but
features prison wings or hallways that radiate out like spokes on a wheel. Some cell
designs included raised cells that allowed for better ventilation and heating and
prevented prisoners from digging through the floor. Two limitations that continued to
cause problems were the lack of proper sanitation and the inability of the keepers to
inspect the prisoners easily.
20th Century
Prison designs continued to evolve around the turn of the century, and a lack
of state or federal guidelines led to significant variations, although most prisons still
sought to limit prisoner contact. By the 1930s and 40s, “telephone pole” design was
the most popular. This design included a central corridor with housing wings built at 90
degrees from the corridor. Prisons built in this manner included the Maryland
Reformatory, Soledad in California, Utah State Prison at Draper and Eastern State
Penitentiary in Graterford, Penn.
MAJOR CORRECTIONAL THINKERS IN EARLY HISTORY
CHARLES MONTESQUIEU- French philosopher who wrote “Persian Letters on Criminal Law
Abuses in Europe”
JOHN HOWARD
• Sheriff of Bedfordshire in England
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• He wrote the “State of Prisons Treaties for British Parliament” and "The State of the
Prison in England and Wales”
• Advocated prison reform, known as the “Father of Prison Reform”
FRANCOISE VOLTAIRE- Wrote critically of the French government and was imprisoned in
the Bastile.
WILLIAM PENN
• Brought the concept of humanitarian treatment of offender
• He also responsible to the abolition of death penalty and the one responsible for
the correctional reform in U.S
CESARE BECARRIA
The basis of all social action must be "Utilitarian Concept"
• Crime must be considered an injury to the society
• Prevention of crimes is more important than punishment for crime.
• Secret accusation and torture should abolished
• Speedy trial should be promoted.
JEREMY BENTHAM
• Greatest Happiness Principle and Felicific Calculus
• Utilitarianism
• Further developed the classical school of criminology / penology
• Student of Beccaria
• The concept of pain and pleasure
• He also designed the panopticon prisons.
Jail- it is the place for locking- up of persons who are convicted of a minor offenses or
felonies who serve a short sentence imposed upon them by competent court, or for
confinement of person who are awaiting for trial , or investigation of the cases. Derived
from Spanish word "jaula" and caula " Gaol.
Kinds of Jail
1. Lock up jail - is a security facility common to police station used for temporary
confinement of an individual held for investigation.
2. Ordinary jail - is the type of jail commonly used to detain a convicted criminal
offender to serve less than 3 years.
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3. Work house or jail camp- a facility that houses minimum custody offender who is
serving a short sentence or those who are undergoing constructive work program.
General Classifications of Jail in the Philippines
• Municipal Jail - punishment with duration of 1 day to 6 months
• City Jail - punishable with duration of 1 day to 3 years
• District Jail- punishable with duration of 6 months 1 day to 3 years
• Provincial Jail- punishable with duration of 6 month to 3 years
Note: Provincial jail in the Philippines is not under the Jurisdiction of BUCOR or BJMP They
are managed and controlled by provincial government.
Importance of jail
• It enables the wrong doer to be reformed and rehabilitate.
• To avoid influence of harder criminal
• To separate offender according to their duration of imprisonment.
PRISON INSTITUTION for confinement of convicted offenders to more than three years of
imprisonment.
• Derived from the Greco Roman word "PRESIDO"
• Administered under BUREAU OF CORRECTION
• Also called national prisons and also includes the penal colonies and penal
farms.
The Old Bilibid Prison
It was then known as Carcel y Presidio Correccional (Spanish, "Correctional Jail and
Military Prison") occupied a rectangular piece of land that was part of the Mayhalique
Estate in the heart of Manila. The old prison was established by the Spanish colonial
government on June 25, 1865 via royal decree. It is divided into two sections: the
Carcel, which could accommodate 600 prisoners; and the Presidio, which could hold
527 prisoners.
Correctional Facilities in the Philippines
There are 7 correctional facilities under the supervision of Bureau of Correction
which are located all over the country.
1. National Bilibid Prison
2. San Ramon and Penal Farm
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3. Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm
4. Davao Penal Colony and Farm
5. Sablayan Penal Colony and Penal Farm
6. Leyte Regional Prison
7. Correctional Institution for Women.
New Bilibid Prison - located at Muntinlupa City, is the main insular penitentiary designed
to house the prison population of the Philippines; it is maintained by the Bureau of
Corrections (BUCOR) Under the Department of Justice. The penitentiary had initial land
area of 587 hectares. During the war, the Japanese force used NBP to confine
suspected guerillas and anti- Japanese Filipinos as well as American prisoners of war.
The Japanese forces installed anti- aircraft battery position atop the hills of the prison,
Probably Japanese military thinking is that US warplane will not retaliate at these
position because of the presence of American prisoners of war confined in this facility
Three (3) Security Camps of NBP
1. The Maximum Security Compound- this compound houses for convict who sentences
are 20years and above, life termer or those under the capital punishment. Next is
2. Minimum Security Compound- also called Camp Bukang Liwayway, the name
coming release of prisoners. This is for prisoners who are 65 years old above.
3. Medium Security Compound- also called Camp Sampaguita, whose prison term are
below 20 years.
NEW BILIBID PRISON
• Build on January 22, 1941
• The prison reservation had area of 587Hectares it was surrounded by three layers
of barbed wires.
• Muntinlupa City
• Lethal Injection Is Located.
Note:
• President Fidel V. Ramos signed into law the imposition of Death penalty in
heinous crime (R.A. 7659) December 13, 1993
• (RA 8177) March 20, 1996, An Act Designating Death By Lethal Injection as the
Method of Carrying Out Capital Punishment, Amending for the Purpose Article 81
of The Revised Penal Code, as Amended by Section 24 of Republic Act No. 7659.
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• FEB 5, 1999 Leo Echegaray was 1st death convict executed thru lethal injection.
Chemical Compound of Lethal injection
• SODIUM THROPENTAL - put convict to sleep
• PANCURONIUM BROMIDE- paralyze muscles
• POTASSIUM CHLORIDE- stops heartbeat.
Maximum Security Compound at NBP Main Building
• Death convicts
• Inmates sentenced to life term
• Multiple conviction
• Sentenced of more than 20 years
Electric chair in 1924- execution by electrocution (referred to as the ELECTRIC CHAIR) is
an execution method originating in the U S in which the person being put to death.
SAMON PRISON AND PENAL FARM
Twenty-two years after the establishment of NBP the San Ramon Prison and Penal
Farm was establish On August 21, 1870. This prison was constructed to confine MUSLIMS
REBELS and POLITICAL PRISONERS. The facility which faced in JOLO sea San Ramon
Prison and Penal Farm was named in Memory of its founder Ramon Blanco, a Spanish
captain in the Royal Army, This prison has total land area of 1,524.6 hectares. Today the
principal product of San Ramon, Zamboanga Del Sur is copra, which one of the biggest
source of income of the Prison, it also have rice, corn, and other livestock.
IWAHIG PRISON AND PENAL FARM
It was established by Americans in November 4, 1904. The Iwahig Prison and
Penal Farm were formerly known as “Luhit Penal Settlement”. Today this penal
institution is considered as one of the most open penal institution in the world it was from
this facility that term Prison without Walls "Iwahig Penal Colony allocated 1,000 hectares
which distributed to release inmate who no longer had any desire to return to their
original homes and who instead want to settle for good in Palawan.
• It has 41 007 hectares in 1950 it was located on Palawan, Puerto Princesa
• Tagumpay Settlement was located
• Order by GOV. Luke Wright
• 6 hectares are home lots distributed to inmate for those who live there.
• LT. George Wolfe 1st superintendent
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• The area was expanded to 41,007 hectares by virtue of E.O 67 issued by Gov.
Newton Gilbert on Oct. 15 1912.
The Iwahig Sub Colonies (SIMC)
1. Sta. Lucia sub colony
2. Inagawan sub colony
3. Montible sub colony
4. Central sub colony.
DAVAO PENAL COLONY AND FARM
Is located in Tagum, Davao del Norte a prison security compound for medium
security prisoners, It has become the largest source of revenue for the Bureau of
Correction producing abaca, banana, rice, copra and other farm product It is now
biggest abaca plantation in the country.
But aside from abaca, it is also a major banana producer that exported to
Japan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and many countries.
Davao Penal Colony has two sub colonies the Panabo sub colony and the
Kapalong sub- colony which under a penal supervisor, like Iwahig, Davao has also a
settlement site for released prisoners who no longer wish to return to their homes but
choose to remain in Davao. This settlement area is called Tanglaw Settlement.
• Located at Tagum Davao del Norte
• Approximate land area is 30,000 hectares
• 1st penal settlement organized under Filipino Administration
• Tanglaw Settlement
• Banana 3000 Hectares
Two Sub Colonies (PK)
1. Panabo sub colony
2. Kapalong sub colony
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SABLAYAN PENAL COLONY AND FARM
A year later, on September 27, 1954 the President of the Philippines issued
Proclamation No. 72 allocating 16,000 hectares of land in Sablayan, Occidental
Mindoro for setting up another penal Colony.
The Sablayan Penal Colony and Farm was established to meet the increasing
population of prisoners that is already causing serious congestion. Within its area there
are 4 sub colonies
• Located at Occidental Mindoro
• Established Sept 27, 1954
Four Sub Colonies
• Central sub colony
• Pusog sub colony
• Pasugui sub colony
• Yapang sub colony
LEYTE REGIONAL PRISON
This was established in January 16, 1973 on the orders issued under Martial law by
President Ferdinand E Marcos
• Abuyog Leyte
• Established Jan 16, 1973 by Ferdinand Marcos
• Considered as youngest prison
CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION FOR WOMEN
On November 27 1929, act 3579 was passed into law establishing the
Correctional Institution for Women CIW this penal institution for women was constructed
on an 18 hectares piece of land in what is now Mandaluyong City.
Before the establishment of this institution women prisoners confined in portion of the
Bilibid Prison. The CIW in Mandaluyong was established in 1931 in 1934 the position of
female superintendent was created to supervise the operation of this facility.
Prison Director Ramon Victorio, suggest to transfer of all women prisoners to a new
facility on Feb 14 1931 the women prisoners were Finally transferred from the Bilibid to
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women prison and presently known as Correctional Institution for Women Today, the
institute is run by female personnel with the exception of the perimeter guards who are
male.
• Nov. 27 1929 the institution was established
• Establish of the Correctional institution for Women in Mandaluyong City under
Act no. 3579
• Its old name was Women's Prisons
• Total land area is 18 hectares
• In 1934 the position of FEMALE SUPERINTENDENT was made.
Note:
• The Bureau of Prisons was renamed BUREAU of CORRECTION under the new
administrative code of 1987 and proclamation number 495 issued on November
22, 1989.
• National Correctional Consciousness week is every last week of October.
Post-module Questions
1. Name and describe the three (3) security camp in New Bilibid Prison.
2. What are the seven (7) correctional facilities under the supervision of Bureau of
Correction?
Reference:
Bohm R. M. and Haley K. N. Introduction to Criminal Justice, Fifth Edition. McGraw-Hill
Higher Education, NY. 2008.
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