FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
Introduced by Senator Richard J. Gordon 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
A person who is committed to prison must lead a productive life and not be a burden 
to the State while in the process of rehabilitation and reformation into a law-abiding and 
responsible citizen. Prison work, which is the rehabilitation of a prisoner through work, aims 
to promote discipline and enhance the prisoner's self-respect, self-confidence, personal 
dignity and sense of responsibility by allowing the prisoner to pay for his or her own keep 
while serving time in prison. 
With prison work, taxpayers will not be unduly obligated to pay for the maintenance 
of prisoners. While less public funds will be required to spend for prisoners, more resources 
will be made available for other productive uses of the government. 
Although the Bureau of Corrections and the Bureau of Jail Management and 
Penology conduct some form of rehabilitation program to reform prisoners, there is a need 
to provide a legal framework for prison work to grant incentives and ensure maximum 
benefits so that it may be effectively utilized as a tool to rehabilitate and reform prisoners, 
decongest prisons, and allow prisoners to serve the State in reforestation, infrastructure, 
wpd ggvertqent Rrojpcts 4s 4 way of reparation for the crimes they committed. 
The salient provisions of this bill include voluntary prison work, compulsory prison 
vyork, sacure wOrk program for work outside the prison proper in reforestation, 
imfrastructure, and government projects, the establishment of reforestation camps in 
cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and other national 
and local agencies concerned, and compensation 
y Senator% 


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FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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SENATE 
S. No. 
Introduced by Senator Richard J. Gordon 
AN ACT TO REHABILITATE AND REFORM PRISONERS 
THROUGH PRISON WORK 
AND ALLOW THE PRODUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT OF QUALIFIED PRISONERS IN 
REFORESTATION, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND GOVERNMENT PROJECTS 
Be if enacted by the Senate and fhe House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1, Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “Prison Work Act of 2007.” 
Sec. 2. Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote the rehabilitation of prisoners and 
their reformation into responsible and law-abiding citizens through prison work and the 
productive engagement of qualified prisoners in reforestation, infrastructure, and government 
projects. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. - For purposes of this Act, 
(1) “Prisoner” refers to any person deprived of liberty and confined or detained in prison. 
(2) “Detained Prisoner” refers to a prisoner pending preliminary investigation, trial or 
appeal of a crime, or upon legal process issued by a court other than a final judgment. 
(3) “Convicted Prisoner” refers to a prisoner sentenced to a term of imprisonment in a 
final judgment by a court. 
(4) “Bureau” refers to the Bureau of Corrections under the Department of Justice or the 
Bureau of Jail Management and Penology under the Department of Interior and Local 
Government, as the case may be. 
(5) “Prison” refers to a secured pjace where prisoners are confined or detained, such as 
the New Bilibid Prison, the Correctional Institute for Women, the Leyte Regional Prison, 
and the Davao, San Ramon, Sablayan and lwahig Prison and Penal Farms under the 
control of the Bureau of Corrections, and such district, city, and municipal prisons under 
the control of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. 
(6) “Prison Work refers to the rehabilitation of prisoners through work. 
(7) “Qualified prisoner” refers to a prisoner who is fit and eligible to work as determined 


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by the Bureau and qualified to work outside the prison and in reforestation, 
infrastructure, and government projects based on the Bureau's security classification 
and standards. 
Sec. 4. Vohntary Prison Work. -Any prisoner, including a detained prisoner, who is fit 
and eligible to work as determined by the Bureau may volunteer to work in and about the 
prison, reforestation, infrastructure, and government projects subject to the approval of the 
Bureau, provided that in case of a detained prisoner, such work shall in no way impair the 
detained prisoner's right to be present at every stage of his or her criminal proceedings before 
a trial court. 
A prisoner who chooses to work under this Section does so voluntarily and may not 
receive compensation for work. 
Sec. 5. Compulsory Prison Work. - A  convicted prisoner who is fit and eligible to work 
as determined by the Bureau may be required to work for eight (8) hours a day in and about the 
prison, reforestation, infrastructure, and government projects with a rest period of not less than 
twenty-four (24) consecutive hours after every six (6) consecutive normal working days, except 
if the work is necessary household work or when the work is necessary to maintain the 
management or discipline of the prison. 
Sec. 6. Secure Work Program. - The Bureau may establish a secure work program for 
qualified prisoners working outside the prison proper and in reforestation, infrastructure, and 
government projects while appropriately restrained for security purposes. Qualified prisoners on 
a work secure program shall be required to wear distinctively colored outer garments and such 
other devices that would preserve and secure the Bureau's custody over them. 
Any qualified prisoner on a secure work program who escapes shall be punished with 
the penalty of prision correccional under the Revised Penal Code in a special summary 
procedure to be promulgated by the Supreme Court. 
Sec. 7. Reforestation, Infrastructure, and Government Projects. - Qualified 
prisoners may be engaged in reforestation, infrastructure, and government projects in 
coordination with the Bureau, provided that no employee shall be displaced nor employment 
opportunity supplanted. 
Reforestation camps may be established, maintained, supervised and controlled by the 
Bureau in cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and other 
national and local agencies concerned. 
Sec. 8. Compensation for Work, - Prisoners may be reasonably compensated for work 
performed and any and all compensation earned by a prisoner shall be collected and disbursed 


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by the Bureau only in the order stated as follows: 
(1) Taxes due to the government from income; 
(2) Support of the prisoner, including board, food, clothing, and necessary travel 
expenses to and from work and other incidental expenses, if any; 
(3) Payment of the civil.liability arising from crime, if any; 
(4) Support of the prisoner's dependents, if any; 
(5) Payment for legal representation, if any; 
(6) Payment of the prisoner's obligations acknowledged by the prisoner in writing or 
reduced to judgment, if any; and 
(7) The balance, if any, to the prisoner upon the prisoner's final discharge from prison. 
Sec. 9. Compensation to Injured Prisoners. - If any prisoner, in the performance of 
work, is injured as to be permanently or materially incapacitated, the prisoner may, upon being 
released from prison on final discharge, be allowed and paid such compensation as the Bureau 
may deem necessary, except that the total amount to be paid to such prisoner shall not exceed 
fifty thousand pesos (PhP50,OOO). 
Sec. 10. Labor Code. -The provisions of the Labor Code on labor standards pertaining 
to occupational health and safety shall be observed as far as practicable by the Bureau in 
implementing the provisions of this Act. 
Sec. 11. Time Allowance for Prison Work. - In addition to time allowances provided in 
the Revised Penal Code, a prisoner who works diligently under Sec. 4 of this Act as determined 
by the Bureau shall be entitled to a deduction of five (5) days from the period of sentence for 
each month of voluntary prison work rendered, while a prisoner who works diligently under Sec. 
5 of this Act as determined by the Bureau shall be entitled to a deduction of three (3) days from 
the period of the sentence for every month of compulsory prison work rendered. 
Sec. 12. Rules and Regulations. - The Bureau shall promulgate rules and regulations 
to implement the provisions of this Act within three (3) months from the effectivity of this Act. 
Sec. 13. Appropriation. -The initial funding to carry out the provisions of this Act shall 
be charged against the current year's appropriation. Thereafter, such sums as may be 
necessary shall be included in the General Appropriations Act. 
Sec. 14. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or other 
issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or 
modified accordingly. 
Sec. 15. Separability Clause. - If any portion or provision of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provisions not affected thereby shall remain in 


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force and effect. 
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the Philippines. 
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Approved, 
Sec. 16. Hfectivity. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following the 
completion of its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in