(
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
s. NO. 
I S O
j|
S’ - ‘Pff't*' ot the ^r>  r e t n r j i
■19 JUL-2 PI 29
RECEIV’ D B\.
Introduced bv SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING PRISON REFORM AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE 
IN THE PHILIPPINE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
The Philippines is a State Part>T to United Nations treaties and instruments 
concerning persons deprived of liberty. It is obligated to implement the treaty 
commitments, primarily through the passage of domestic laws based on 
internationally recognized standards that set benchmarks and indicators of success.
For persons deprived of liberty, the United Nations Minimum Standards for 
the Treatment of Prisoners is a comprehensive tool to help policy makers and 
implementers ensure that detention pro\ide opportunities for correction and reform. 
In addition, there are other guidelines for specific sectors such as women and 
persons with disability.
Apart from those international standards. Article III, Section 19 of theiQSy 
Constitution mandates that “[t]he use of substandard or inadequate penal facilities 
under subhuman conditions shall be dealt with by law”.
Therefore, there are enough bases in the Constitution and in our 
internationally binding commitments to pursue changes in our corrections and jail 
system. 
But more than these legal imperatives, realities on the ground should 
compel our policymakers to push for the much needed reforms.
Just take the case of overcrowding. Our jails have topped the World Prison 
Briefs list of the most overcrowded incarceration systems in the world, as reported in


the New York Times1. It is truly worrisome: how in only two years, as President 
Duterte’s “war on drugs” rages on, our jail population increased to 64 percent with a 
total of 160,000 Persons Deprived with Liberty (PDLs). The burden is shared even by 
our prison facilities, with the problem of congestion getting worse by the hour as 
shown by its population increase of 30 percent for the past 2 years.
It is vitally important therefore to enact a law instituting wide ranging reforms 
in our jails and correction system, a legislation that shall mandate the upgrade of our 
facilities, enhance professionalization of our jail and correction officers and 
employees, and legislate the standards of humane treatment of the inmates.
In Senate Bill No. 1879, or the Unified Corrections and Jail Management 
System Act of 2018, which I filed during the 17th Congress, and for refiling this 
Congress, I sought to introduce institutional reforms through the integration of our 
jails and correctional facilities into one system to be run by a central authority, which 
shall largely merge the functions, responsibilities and resources of the present 
Bureau of Corrections and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
In this bill, the policy direction is tow'ards helping convicted and/or detained 
individuals develop appreciation and respect for the law and in turn, reduce their 
tendencies to recidivate, and prepare them for reintegration in society. This also 
takes into consideration the importance of strengthening capacities of those who 
work in correctional institutions and helping them appreciate their contribution to 
the full cycle of bringing to justice the perpetrators and ensuring that their victims 
are afforded the justice that they deserve.
The purpose of punishment under our Penal Laws is not confined to 
retribution and deterrence. It is also for correction and reformation. The purpose of 
this bill is to help persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) -  the detainees and prisoners -  
prepare for their ev'entual return to their families and to the mainstream of our 
society. To reintegrate them efficiently and peacefully into the community where they 
once belonged, a system of rehabilitation is vital. Putting them under the hands of 
the law after all, is not the end of their lives but a step tow ards the rebuilding of a 
better one, where they can be useful members thereof.
1 Almendral, A.." Where 518 Inmates Sleep in Space for 170, and Gangs Hold It Together." 1 January 2019. New 
York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.eom/2019/01/07/world/asia/philippines-manila-jail- 
overcrowding.html <last visited on 06 June 2019>


J
the law after all, is not the end of their lives but a step towards the rebuilding of a 
better one, where they can be useful members thereof.
As a first step towards the State’s compliance with International Law 
obligations on respecting the human rights of PDLs, organizational reforms shall be 
institutionalized, including the training of officials and personnel in whose hands 
and at whose mercy their rehabilitation and restoration would ultimately depend.
A new system of classification shall be implemented as a substitute of the 
present sentence-based classification. This new system will take into consideration 
not only the imposed penalties, but also other important factors that play a vital role 
in rehabilitating persons.
Finally, this bill recognizes that imprisonment is not a lifetime chain that 
would eternally bind prisoners in the dark. The State shall take steps towards 
reforming them, by affording them assistance in seeking for jobs and housing once 
they are released back into society.
In view of the foregoing, appro\ al of this measure is earnestly sought.
liElLA M. DE LIMA


EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
180
S. No.
of tl)f ^p iri-in rp
■19 JUL-2 PI :29
RECEIVED Bv:
Introduced by SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING PRISON REFORM AND RESTORATIVE JUSTICE 
IN THE PHILIPPINE CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Chapter I
2 
Title, State Policy and Definition of Terms
3 
Section i. Short Title. -  This Act shall be known as the “Prison Reform Act of
4 
2 0 1 9.”
5 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. -  The State recognizes that the maintenance of
6 
peace and order, the protection of life, liberty, and property, and the promotion of
7 
the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings
8 
of democracy. The State likewise values the dignity of every human person and
9 
guarantees full respect for human rights. To ensure adherence to these avowed
10 
policies, the State, through this Act, undertakes to establish a just, proportionate,
11 
effective, and human correctional system, with the following objectives:
12 
1. Prioritize the rehabilitation of persons deprived of liberty as domestic
13 
translation of the obligation to treat with humanity and with respect for
14 
inherent dignity, all persons deprived of liberty, as found in United
15 
Nations human rights conventions to which the Philippines is State Party
16 
and in fulfilment of the constitutional guarantee of full respect for human
17 
rights; and


1 
2. Institutionalize transformational policy direction in the Philippines’
2 
corrections system founded on the principle of restorative justice in order
3 
to reduce the risk of recidivism and other vulnerabilities to crime
4 
commission, violence, and diseases.
5 
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. -  As used in this Act, the following terms have the
6 
corresponding meanings, as follows:
7 
1. Criminogenic needs - refers to characteristics, traits, problems, or issues of
8 
an indhidual that directly relate to the individual’s likelihood to re-offend
9 
and commit another crime. This includes static factors such as age at the
10 
time of first arrest, criminal history, socio-economic background and
11 
dynamic factors such as lack of respect for authority, anti-social behaviour,
12 
lack of literacy or job skills, or other expressed non-conformist behaviors,
13 
values, and attitudes that are correlated with criminal activity;
14 
2. Recidivism Risk Level - refers to the degree of probability of reoffending or
15 
committing another crime;
16 
3. Risk Assessment - refers to the process of evaluating the recidivism risk
17 
level of an offender, and provides an empirical estimate of whether an
18 
offender has a sufficiently high likelihood of again committing crime to
19 
justify incapacitation;
20 
4. Custodial duty - refers to the duty to ensure that persons deprived of
21 
liberty remain within the premises of prisons and jails while serving
22 
sentence or undergoing trial. It encompasses the duty to protect them from
23 
violence that may occur from individual- or group-initiated operations
24 
within the facilities. It also compasses the duty to protect the rights of
25 
persons deprived of liberty as provided in this Act;
26 
5. Jail - refers to facilities that receive custody of individuals who are
27 
undergoing trial and those who have been sentenced to serve
28 
imprisonment not exceeding three years;
29 
6. Persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) - refer to any person deprived of
30 
personal liberty as a result of conviction for an offense. It shall also refer to
31 
a person arrested or detained by reason of a criminal charge, who is
32 
detained either in police custody or in jail awaiting trial or final conviction;


1 
7- Prison - refers to a government establishment where national
2 
inmates/prisoners serve their sentence. Prison shall include penal colonies
3 
and Prison and Penal Farms; and
4 
8. Reformation - refers to the rehabilitation component of the corrections
5 
system and shall ensure that upon release from detention facilities, former
6 
PDLs shall not recidivate but are instead mainstreamed into society and
7 
able to live productive lives.
8 
Chapter II
9 
Coverage and Guiding Human Rights Principles in the Reformation of
10 
Persons Dejirived of Liberty
11 
Sec. 4. Coverage. -  The programs and services established under this Act shall
12 
apply to all persons deprived of liberty, including pre-trial detention prisoners, and
13 
individuals serving sentences, without discrimination regardless of age, sexual
14 
orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, religion, and other statuses under the custody
15 
of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and Bureau of Corrections
16 
(BuCor), and shall exclude those in other detention and custodial centers not under
17 
BJMP and BuCor.
18 
Sec. 5. Program Context. -  While giving primacy to the principles of
19 
restorative justive, programs shall be designed and carried out to acknowledge the
20 
injury or damage committed against victims and their families, and the need for
21 
reparation or indenmity, and the necessity to understand the different that lead to
22 
the commission of crimes.
23 
Sec. 6. Access to Legal Aid. -  Access to competent and free legal aid shall be
24 
made available to persons deprived of liberty at all stages of litigation up to appeal,
25 
and the lawyers, representatives of organizations, or students from law schools
26 
providing this service should be free and safe from harassment.
27 
Sec. 7. Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty. -  Every person deprived of
28 
liberty shall be accorded the following minimum rights:
29 
1. The right not to be subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman or
30 
degrading treatment or punishment, including solitary confinement;
31 
2. The right to competent counsel in all stages of litigation, including appeal
32 
and other post-conviction remedies, and the provision of free legal aid for
33 
indigent PDLs;


1 
3- The right to basic and necessary healthcare;
2 
4. The right to clean and adequate food and water;
3 
5. The right to decent and compensated work, whenever available and
4 
applicable; and
5 
6. The right not to be discriminated against, and to be treated with respect
6 
due to their inherent dignity and value as human beings.
7 
Chapter III
8 
Institutional Reforms
9 
A. Judicial Reforms
10 
Sec. 8. Protection of the Right of PDLs to Speedy Trial. -  The Department of
11 
Justice (DOJ), in coordination with the Judiciary and the Integrated Bar of the
12 
Philippines (IBP), shall adopt appropriate measures to ensure that the right of PDLs
13 
to speedy trial is protected.
14 
Sec. 9. Decongestion through a System of Automatic Release. -  All detention
15 
and correctional facilities are hereby mandated to automatically release PDLs upon
16 
the concurrence of the following conditions:
17 
1. The PDL has been in custody or has served time for a period equal to or
18 
more than the maximum period prescribed for the offense charged.
19 
2. A report has been filed at least ninety (90) days prior to the date of release
20 
with the proper court and legal authorities on all matters relating to the
21 
charge and the penalty provided therefor, the maximum period imposed
22 
for the crime charged and/or committed provided under the law violated,
23 
and the present period of incarceration.
24 
3. Transmittal of approval by the proper court and legal authorities.
25 
Sec. 10. Continuation of Trial or Proceedings on Appeal. -  Nothing in this Act
26 
shall mean a cessation of trial and proceedings already pending. The release as
27 
ordered in the preceding section shall be without prejudice to the continuation of the
28 
trial or proceedings on appeal, if any.
29 
B. Facility Reforms
30 
Sec. 11. Infrastructure Plans. -  The Bureau of Correction (BuCor) and the
31 
Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) shall make an audit of existing
32 
penal facilities and conduct studies with the end in view of creating an Infrastructure


1 
Plan. The implementation of the plan shall not begin later than five (5) years from
2 
the effectivity of this Act, to be completed within a period of ten (10) years from the
3 
effectivity of this Act.
4 
The Infrastructure Plan of the BuCor shall, as much as practicable, include the
5 
construction of at least one (1) penal facility per region. The said plan shall then be
6 
submitted to the DOJ for the inclusion thereof in the latter’s budget.
7 
The Infrastructure Plan of the BJMP shall be submitted to the Department of
8 
Interior and Local Government (DILG) for the inclusion thereof in the latter’s budget.
9 
Sec. 12. Facilities and Living Conditions. -  Prisons and jails shall be built and
10 
improved to comply with standards of prison planning, including the dimension of
11 
cell and other guidelines for accommodations, as set forth in the United Nations
12 
Minimum Standards for Treatment of Prisoners. Such facilities shall include but not
13 
limited to:
14 
1. Dormitories or cells;
15 
2. Hospital or infirmary;
16 
3. Multipurpose or recreation hall;
17 
4. Common areas for reception and visitors, kitchen and mess hall, place of
18 
worship, wash or laundry area; and
19 
5. Clean and adequate water source.
20 
Sec. 13. Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS). -  There shall be
21 
created an Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS), a program that stores and
22 
organizes data of all persons admitted into jails and prisons.
23 
The OTIS shall automate the existing manual records management separately
24 
maintained by the BuCor and BJMP.
25 
The program shall be the central database of the following information:
26 
a) PDL’s personal profile;
27 
b) PDL’s case information;
28 
c) PDL’s jail location history and the status of their respective cases;
29 
d) Status of the offender’s case; and
30 
e) Inmates’ records including the Good Conduct Time Allowance
31 
(GCTA).


1 
Sec. 14. OTIS Records. -  All data stored in the OTIS shall be considered
2 
protected, and shall be governed by established rules for access, storage, safekeeping,
3 
auditing, digital privacy and security, and efficient transmittal.
4 
C. Organizational Reforms
5 
Sec. 15. Appointment to the Bureau of Corrections. -  Appointment to the
6 
Bureau of Corrections shall be based on merit determined through the exercise of
7 
sound and credible recruitment and hiring policies and guidelines concerning all
8 
positions. The Civil Service Commission shall formulate the requirements and
9 
qualifications of individuals to be appointed to positions equivalent to Assistant
10 
Secretary up to Chief of the Bureau.
11 
Sec. 16. Organizational Structure, Salary and Rank, Term of Office of
12 
Officials. -  To strengthen the Bureau of Corrections and to meet the appropriate
13 
ratio of staff attending to prisoners, additional personnel consisting of correctional
14 
and rehabilitation officers including administrative staff shall be recruited and
15 
appointed. Provided, That there shall be reserved appointments for three (3)
16 
graduates of the Correctional Academy provided in Section 22 of this Act, for every
17 
non-commissioned staff appointed. Provided further, that Assistant Secretaries to
18 
Chief of Corrections shall serv'e for a term of three years without reappointment or
19 
extension, unless separated from service sooner than end of the term.
20 
Sec. 17. Additional Personnel and Upgrading of Positions. -  In order to
21 
enhance their general welfare, commitment to service, and professionalism,
22 
additional personnel shall be employed to match the ideal ratio of custodial officer to
23 
prisoner. The necessary restructuring of personnel complement shall be undertaken
24 
with the assistance of the Department of Budget and Management and the Civil
25 
Service Commission.
26 
The BJMP and BuCor shall take into consideration the international standards
27 
with regard to prisoner-to-jail/correctional officer ratio in determining the desirable
28 
staff requirements.
29 
Sec. 18. Retirement and Other Benefits. -  Upon compulsory retirement, any
30 
custodial officer from the rank of Corrections Chief and below shall be entitled to
31 
retirement benefits computed on the basis of one grade higher than the position last


1 
held. Provided, That the retirement pay shall be subject to adjustments based on the
2 
prevailing scale of base pay of civilian personnel.
3 
Sec. 19. Grant of Hazard Pay. -  The officials, uniformed personnel and
4 
applicable civil personnel assigned to penal institutions of the Bureau of Jail
5 
Management and Penology and the Bureau of Corrections shall receive hazard pay.
6 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as to diminish, in any manner, any
7 
benefit granted by existing laws, rules and regulations, local ordinances and other
8 
issuances especially favourable to said covered officials and personnel.
9 
The BuCor and BJMP, in close coordination with Department of Budget and
10 
Management, shall formulate the appropriate hazard pay scale which will form part
11 
of the implementing rules and regulations of this Act.
12 
Sec. 20. Professional Development of Officers and Staff. -  The Bureau of
13 
Corrections is authorized to enter into cooperation agreements with foreign
14 
universities or colleges offering specialized courses on the criminal justice system,
15 
specifically on correctional and prison standards and reforms. It shall devise a
16 
scheme whereby all officers and staff are able to participate in fellowship programs at
17 
short and regular intervals, subject to service obligations to the government, and in
18 
consultation with the Chil Service Commission.
19 
Sec. 21. Continuous System of Reassignment. -  Subject to the exigencies of
20 
the service, jail/prison officers shall have a term-based assignment to avoid
21 
fraternization and familiarity with the PDLs. The tour of duty of jail/prison officers at
22 
each penal facility shall not exceed six (6) years. Service of each tour within the same
23 
penal facility shall be subject to the condition that the jail/prison officers shall serve
24 
at one office or section within the same facility for the first three (3) years thereof,
25 
and the last three (3) years at another office or section.
26 
Constant reassignment through a system of rotation of posts of jail/prison
27 
officers shall be institutionalized. Such reassigned officers shall be entitled to
28 
relocation allowance under existing laws.
29 
Chapter IV
30 
Philippine Correctional Academy and Training Institute
31 
Sec. 22. Philippine Correctional Academy and Training Institute. -  There
32 
shall be created the Philippine Correctional Academy and Training Institute (PCATI)


1 
which shall serve as the premier school for prospective custodial and rehabilitation
2 
officers, to be designed to teach expertise on custodial, reformation and
3 
rehabilitation work, with programs focusing on the context of detention, its causes
4 
and objectives.
5 
Sec. 23. Continuing Training Programs. -  The PCATI shall provide
6 
continuing capacity building for all officers and staff focusing on courses pertaining
7 
to prison management and operations, paralegal work, human rights, culture and
8 
gender sensitivity, and other relevant subject matters, including pertinent rules and
9 
regulations of the BuCor and the facilities.
10 
Sec. 24. Board of Directors. -  The PCATI shall be under the management and
11 
supervision of the Board of Directors (Board) composed of the following officials:
12 
1. The Secretary of Justice as ex-officio Chairperson to be assisted by the
13 
Chief of the Bureau of Corrections and as Permanent Representative;
14 
2. Ex-officio Members:
15 
a. Chairperson, Commission on Higher Education;
16 
b. Secretary, Department of Education;
17 
c. Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights;
18 
d. Secretary, Department of Health;
19 
e. Dean, National Defense College of the Armed Forces of the
20 
Philippines.
21 
3. The Board shall be assisted by a Secretariat headed by and Executive
22 
Director with the rank of Assistant Secretary.
23 
Sec. 25. Functions of the Board. -  The Board shall develop and lay down
24 
policies to provide education and training in prison administration and PDL
25 
reformation. This shall also cover regular and continuing capacity building for staff
26 
and technical vocational skills for PDFs, in cooperation with relevant government
27 
agencies and the private sector.
28 
Sec. 26. Recruitment of Custodial Officers. -  Custodial officers shall be
29 
recruited for study and training in the PCATI. After completion of a minimum of
30 
two-year course in the PCATI, they shall be considered as commissioned officers. The
31 
PCATI shall likewise develop an on-the-job training program for prison employees
32 
who are recruited or hired without having completed the required courses.


1 
Sec. 27. Continuing Research. -  The PCATI shall conduct a continuing
2 
research and advocacy work on the following:
3 
1. Best practices relating to prison management and operations and prisoner
4 
reform;
5 
2. Best practices relating to the use of prisoner risk and needs assessment
6 
tools;
7 
3. Best available risk and needs assessment tools and the level to which they
8 
rely on dynamic risk factors that could be addressed and changed over
9 
time, and on measures of risk of recidivism, indhidual needs, and
10 
responsivity to recidivism reduction programs;
11 
4. The most effective and efficient uses of such tools in conjunction with
12 
recidivism reduction programs, productive activities, incentives, and
13 
rewards;
14 
5. The most effective recidivism reduction programs in addressing the
15 
different risks and specific criminogenic needs of prisoners, and the
16 
volume and intensity of programming that most effectively reduces the risk
17 
of recidivism for prisoners with different risks of recidivating; and
18 
6. The most effective pre-release custody options for prisoners with different
19 
risks of recidivating.
20 
The PCATI shall regularly submit its findings and recommendations to the
21 
DOJ and Congress for possible amendments to the existing rules and laws.
22 
Chapter V
23 
System of Effective Adm inistration of Justice and Reformation
24 
Sec. 28. Reception and Diagnostics Center (RDC). -  There shall be created a
25 
Reception and Diagnostics Center within each penal facility, which is tasked with the
26 
mandate of establishing a continuing assessment of PDLs for the duration of
27 
imprisonment.
28 
The RDC shall be responsible for the conduct of classification of each and
29 
every inmate admitted to penal institutions. The classification shall be based on the
30 
following principles in lieu of the sentence-based classification:


1 
1. Risk Principle which suggests that the amount of supervision and control
2 
accorded to inmates must be based on their criminogenic needs and
3 
tendency to commit crimes within the penal facility;
4 
2. Need Principle which suggests that the factors that led inmates to criminal
5 
behavior must be properly and fully diagnosed, and that physical, mental
6 
and psychosocial health of inmates must be fully taken into consideration
7 
in their housing and segregation; and
8 
3. Responsivity Principle which suggests that inmates respond differently to
9 
programs, and that programs must be specifically tailored to their
10 
individual potential for rehabilitation, reformation and reintegration into
11 
society, and their capacity to respond thereto.
12 
The RDC shall be the point of entry of all inmates in penal facilities. Except
13 
during periods of national emergency or on account of natural disaster/calamity, in
14 
no case shall an inmate stay within the RDC for a period longer than sixty (60) days.
15 
Sec. 29. Housing Assignment. -  The RDC shall be the principal office tasked
16 
with the mandate of determining the housing assignment of inmates based on the
17 
abovementioned principles.
18 
There shall be three (3) housing security levels which will have varying levels
19 
of control, inmate movement, programs and privileges. Inmates with special physical,
20 
mental and psychosocial health needs shall be segregated accordingly so as not to
21 
exacerbate their health condition. Inmates with communicable diseases shall also be
22 
housed separately in order to prevent an outbreak within the penal facility/
23 
The following are the levels of housing security:
24 
1. Level I Housing which is designed for inmates with low levels of risk and
25 
needs based on the principles mentioned in Section 28 hereof. Inmates
26 
who are nearing the completion of their sentences can also be transferred
27 
within this level. The programs which will be offered in this level shall be
28 
geared towards reintegration of inmates upon release;
29 
2. Level II Housing which is designed for inmates with moderate levels of risk
30 
and needs based on the principles mentioned in Section 28 hereof. Inmate
31 
programs offered in this level shall be geared towards social equipping like
32 
livelihood, education, and prison industries; and
10


1 
3- Level III Housing which is designed for inmates with higher levels of risk
2 
and needs based on the principles mentioned in Section 28 hereof. Inmate
3 
programs offered in this level shall be geared towards cognitive change like
4 
psychotherapy, counselling, and substance detoxification.
5 
Sec. 30. Penal Facility Assignment. -  As much as practicable, PDLs shall be
6 
detained or serve their sentence in the region where they reside at the time of
7 
incarceration.
8 
Sec. 31. Disciplinary Committee. -  There shall be created a Disciplinary
9 
Committee within each penal facility:
10 
1. The Committee shall be composed of the following:
11 
a. One (1) Chairman who is also the head of the penal facility;
12 
b. Three (3) Disciplinary Officers who are also appointed officers of the
13 
Bureau of Corrections;
14 
c. One (1) representative from the Commission on Human Rights; and
15 
d. One (1) member each from the private sector and the Integrated Bar of
16 
the Philippines.
17 
The Committee shall be responsible for investigating the violation of rules
18 
committed by PDLs and recommending appropriate and proportionate sanctions
19 
therefor.
20 
Sec. 32. Allowable In-prison Disciplinary Penalties. -  Upon the finding of
21 
guilt, the following penalties may be imposed by the Disciplinary Committee:
22 
1. Recommendation for the prosecution for additional offenses;
23 
2. Rendering of prison-support services such as, but not limited to cooking,
24 
cleaning, doing clerical work, running the laundry, or performing
25 
maintenance chores, subject to their physical and mental fitness as
26 
determined by the medical officer;
27 
3. Time credit deductions in the computation of Good Conduct Time
28 
Allowance;
29 
4. Restriction of visiting privileges;
30 
5. Housing reassignment;
31 
6. Prison reassignment; and
11


1 
7- Other similar penalties as may be determined by the disciplinary
2 
committee.
3 
No penalty shall be imposed that is more than necessary for the rehabilitation
4 
and reformation of the inmate. In no case shall the disciplinary committee impose
5 
any punishment that is contrary to law.
6 
Sec. 33. Intervention Programs Office. -  There shall be created within each
7 
penal facility an Intervention Office. The Intervention Office shall be responsible for
8 
creating and implementing intervention programs.
9 
Sec. 34. Intervention Programs. -  The intervention programs shall be
10 
designed and targeted for PDLs within the same recidivism risk levels. They may be
11 
any of the following:
12 
1. Education and training -  programs designed to give basic and advance
13 
education to PDLs, or provide them with technical skills. BuCor shall
14 
coordinate with the Department of Education, Commission on Higher
15 
Education, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for
16 
the design and implementation of these programs.
17 
2. Work and productivity -  programs designed to utilize the existing skills
18 
and capabilities of PDLs towards administration 
of the penal facility or
19 
community service.
20 
3. Counselling and self-improvement -  programs designed to provide
21 
continuous counselling services to PDLs to encourage reformation and
22 
self-improvement.
23 
Sec. 35. Intervention Program Credits. -  Participation in intervention
24 
programs shall earn PDLs with Intervention Program Credits equivalent to the hours
25 
spent during such participation. For every six-month period in which the PDL is not
26 
subjected to any disciplinary action or recommended for prosecution for crimes
27 
committed during the service of sentence, the Intervention Programs Office shall
28 
recommend to the Parole and Probation Administration (DOJ-PPA) a reduction in
29 
sentence equivalent to the Intervention Program Credits earned during such period.
30 
However, PDLs who are convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude may
31 
not be recommended for sentence reduction until after they have served half of the
32 
minimum period of their prison sentence. Upon completion of the said period, the
12


1 
Intervention Programs Office may recommend a reduction in sentence equivalent to
2 
half of the Intervention Programs Credits earned, provided that the PDL was not
3 
subjected to more than one disciplinary action per year, or recommended for
4 
prosecution for crimes committed during the service of sentence, during the said
5 
period.
6 
The Intervention Program Credit system shall be without prejudice to the
7 
existing system granting allowance for good behavior.
8 
Sec. 36. Risk Reassessments and Level Adjustment. -  PDLs who successfully
9 
participate in intervention programs or productive activities shall receive periodic
10 
risk reassessments not less than annually, and PDLs determined to be at high
11 
recidivism risk level and who have less than five (5) years until their projected release
12 
date shall receive more frequent risk reassessments. The Intervention Program
13 
Office shall adjust the intervention programs for PDLs with high recidivism risk
14 
levels.
15 
Sec. 37. Provision of Adequate and Holistic Healthcare for PDLs. -  Health
16 
programs for physical and mental health shall be established by the BuCor and the
17 
BJMP.
18 
There shall be created in every penal institution a Medical Support Office
19 
(MSO). This Office shall be in charge of ensuring that medical service, the
20 
psychosocial support and other counselling services shall be made available to the
21 
PDLs.
22 
The MSO shall, in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) and the
23 
National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), provide free mental health counselling,
24 
education and evaluation to any prisoner. These services shall be made available to
25 
them upon the entry of the prisoner in the penal institution and until after the lapse
26 
of one (1) year from the time he or she departs from the penal institution when he or
27 
she has secured release through an acquittal, service and expiration of sentence,
28 
grant of parole, commutations, reprieves and other forms of executive clemency, or
29 
through the order of competent authority.
30 
The MSO shall provide them with family-centered programs that focus on
31 
family strengthening activities and nurturing of family relationships, during
32 
incarceration and following release. Services that will help prisoners cultivate
13


1 
insights to prevent recidivism shall also be made available to them. Within six (6)
2 
months prior to the date of his or her release, the MSO shall craft a program that will
3 
prepare the prisoner for his or her release and eventual reintegration into his or her
4 
family, into his or her community, and into society.
5 
The spouse and children of the prisoners shall likewise be entitled to the
6 
psychosocial support and counselling services benefits granted under this Section.
7 
They shall also be provided with free psychosocial support and other counselling
8 
services that will assist them in coping with the changes brought about by the
9 
incarceration. The MSO shall, within six (6) months prior to the date of the
10 
prisoner’s release, help them prepare for the return of the prisoner to their family.
11 
These services may be continuously availed of until after the lapse of one (i) year
12 
from the time of the prisoner’s release.
13 
Sec. 38. In-facility Employment. -  There shall be created in every penal
14 
institution a Prison Revenue Office (PRO) which shall be in 
charge of
15 
institutionalizing revenue generating programs. The PRO shall encourage interested
16 
prisoners to participate in the Prisoner Employment Program (PEP). Through the
17 
PEP, qualified prisoners will be provided with opportunities to engage in meaningful
18 
and sustainable paid employment, work experience and vocational training inside
19 
the penal institution. The PRO shall also encourage interested employers to become
20 
involved in the PEP, upon compliance with requirements to be determined by the
21 
PRO.
22 
The PRO shall, in coordination with TESDA, formulate and establish income
23 
generating programs that will allow qualified prisoners (a) to receive reasonable
24 
compensation for the work thus performed, and (b) to gain an employment
25 
certification that will reflect their employment record.
26 
The PRO shall establish a savings program with government accredited
27 
banking institutions which may be availed of by qualified PDLs.
28 
Sec. 39. Post-Prison Employment. -  There shall be created in every penal
29 
institution a Job Assistance Office (JAO). Without prejudice to other existing
30 
government employment programs, the JAO shall, together with the Department of
31 
Labor and Employment (DOLE), establish and maintain a Post-Prison Emplovment
32 
Program (PPEP) that will raise awareness regarding available job opportunities
14


1 
which a prisoner may avail upon release. The JAO shall encourage private sector
2 
participation by proposing incentives and privileges to private business
3 
establishments that will open job opportunities to former prisoners. The JAO shall
4 
ensure that the job opportunities, both in the public and private sectors, shall not
5 
create undue and unlawful discrimination against former prisoners seeking
6 
employment.
7 
Sec. 40. PPEP Tax Credit. -  Employers who shall participate in the Post-
8 
Prison Employment Program (PPEP) upon the effectivity of this Act, shall be entitled
9 
to an additional deduction from their gross income, equivalent to fifteen percent
10 
(15%) of the total amount paid as salaries and wages to former prisoners, subject to
11 
Section 4 of the National Internal Revenue Code for a period of five (5) years from
12 
the time of employment or until such employment is terminated, whichever is
13 
shorter.
14 
Any company or individual who has hired a former prisoner within five (5)
15 
years from his or her release, is entitled to avail of tax credit granted under this Act.
16 
The said tax credit should be collected immediately on the next tax period.
17 
Sec. 41. Housing Assistance Office. -  There shall be created in every penal
18 
institution a Housing Assistance Office (HAO). The HAO shall be in charge of
19 
providing assistance in the finding of affordable and stable housing or temporary
20 
housing facility, to a former prisoner who is seeking re-entry into the society after
21 
having secured an acquittal on appeal, or having servred the full term of his or her
22 
sentence, or having been granted commutations and reprieves, without prejudice to
23 
other existing government housing programs.
24 
Without prejudice to other existing government housing programs, the HAO
25 
together with the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the Department of Social
26 
Welfare and Development (DSWD), shall provide assistance in the finding of
27 
affordable and stable housing or temporary housing facility to a prisoner within six
28 
(6) months prior to the date of his or her release, and after the lapse of one (1) year
29 
from the time he or she departs from the penal institution.
30 
The HAO shall (1) assess the prisoner’s housing needs or requirements, (2)
31 
provide accurate information about housing resources available in his or her area, (3)
15


1 
assist with the application process, and (4) make follow-ups to evaluate the
2 
conditions of the prisoner in his or her new home.
3 
Sec. 42. Identification Process. -  The Bureau of Corrections shall identify
4 
prisoners who are eligible for release within six (6) months. Information gathered
5 
shall then be related to the HAO and the JAO to facilitate their enrollment in the
6 
respective programs of the said offices. Once identified as eligible for the available
7 
programs, prisoners shall be given the option to enrol and consent to be part thereof.
8 
Chapter VI
9 
Prohibited Acts
10 
Sec. 43. Prohibited Acts and Penalty. -  The following acts are hereby
11 
prohibited:
12 
1. Affording privileged treatment to PDLs such as provision for amenities
13 
different from those given to other prisoners similarly situated without
14 
valid order from DOJ or from appropriate courts;
15 
2. Placing PDLs in secret detention places, solitary, incommunicado, or other
16 
similar situations;
17 
3. Use of PDLs for personal or criminal purposes; and
18 
4. Negligence or willful refusal to check and reveal the status of a PDL upon a
19 
valid demand by the PDL or any of his representatives.
20 
The penalty of prision correccional shall be imposed for violation of this
21 
Section together with the accessory penalty of temporary absolute disqualification
22 
form public office or employment.
23 
Chapter VII
24 
Final Provisions
25 
Sec. 44. Implementing Rules and Regulations. -  Within one hundred and
26 
twenty (120) days from the effectivity of this Act, the DOJ and BuCor together with
27 
TESDA, DOH, NEDA, DOLE, NHA and DSWD, shall promulgate the Implementing
28 
Rules and Regulations (IRR).
29 
Sec. 45. Appropriations. -  Such amounts as may be necessary to cariyr out the
30 
provisions of this Act shall be included in the Annual General Appropriations Act.
16


1 
Sec. 46. Separability Clause. -  If, for any reason, any section or provision of
2 
this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions which
3 
are not affected shall continue to be in full force and effect.
4 
Sec. 47. Repealing Clause. -  All laws, decrees, executive orders, proclamations,
5 
rules and regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent herewith are repealed,
6 
amended, or modified accordingly.
7 
Sec. 48. Effectivity. -  This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
8 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,
17