PSUPT BARTOLOME R BUSTAMANTE, PESE
 Head Executive Assistant, Office of the Director


How the Correctional Pillar Works in the Criminal Justice System

      The corrections pillar is composed of the institutional and non-institutional agencies of the government. The institutional agencies include the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) under the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) under the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). On the other hand, the non-institutional agencies include the Parole and Probation Administration (PPA), and the Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP), all under the Department of Justice (DOJ).

      Among these agencies, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) is the only primary institution in the corrections pillars that provides full custody and rehabilitation programs for the transformation of the insular prisoner.

      Ideally, the corrections pillar starts to work from the moment the accused is placed in jail after the prosecutor has established probable cause on the offense committed and filed the necessary criminal information before the court. In case of arrest with warrant, the pillar starts from the moment the accused is booked and jailed by the law enforcer. However, the accused maybe temporarily released from jail if he has the capacity to post bail except when the case is a capital offense and the evidence of guilt is strong.

      The moment the court promulgates the decision and the guilty verdict is penned, the accused, upon the direction of the court, will be directed to serve his sentence in provincial jail if the imprisonment is 3 years or less or he is brought to the BuCor if the sentence ranges from more than 3 years to capital punishment. In instances, however, when the sentence is 6 years and less, the accused may avail of the probation as maybe approved by the court. In such a case, the Parole and Probation Administration (PPA) shall assist and monitor the rehabilitation program of the convicted felon during the period of sentence.

      At the BuCor custody, the convict is initially processed and evaluated at the Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC) for two months to physically and emotionally prepare him in the prison life ahead.

      Afterwards, the inmate is categorized into maximum, medium and minimum depending upon his classification as approved by the Director, BuCor. In these classification camps, the inmate undergoes treatment and series of rehabilitation programs designed to develop and transform him into becoming a more responsible, productive and law abiding citizen.
     
      After sometime, a maximum classified inmate maybe transferred to the medium then to minimum camp where he will be released from prison upon full service of sentence or order of the competent authorities. Most of the release orders are issued by the Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP) when the minimum of the indeterminate sentence of the inmate has been served. More over, the inmate may also be released upon the order of the appellate court when the decision of the lower is reversed and set aside.