United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for

Treatment of Prisoners (UN-SMRTP)

standards relating to treatment in

detention and are the key framework
used by monitoring and inspection
mechanisms in assessing the
treatment of prisoners.
Revised rules and regulations of R.A. 10575

“x x x to promote the general welfare and

safeguard the basic rights of every prisoner
incarcerated in our national penitentiary by
promoting and ensuring their reformation and
social reintegration, creating an environment
conducive to rehabilitation and compliant
with the United Nations Standard Minimum
Rules for Treatment of Prisoners.”
 A Critical Analysis in the
Implementation of
United Nations “Standard Minimum
Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners” in
Bulacan Provincial Jail
 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

1. What aspects of the UN-SMRTP are duly

implemented in the BPJ?
2. How BPJ implemented such aspect
effectively?
3. What are the aspects of UN-SMRTP are not
implemented in BPJ?
4. Why BPJ failed in such aspect and what is
the possible solution to address such
failure?
 SCOPE AND LIMITATION
1. Food (par. 20)
2. Personal Hygiene (par. 15)
3. Medical Services (par. 22)

4. Discipline and Punishment (par. 27-31)

5. Information to and Complaints by prisoner
(par. 35-36)

6. Social relation and after care (par. 79-81)

 RESEARCH DESIGN AND
METHODOLOGY

 Qualitative
 2 Prison Personnel
 2 People who regularly visits a family
member inside the BPJ

 Quantitative
 100 PDLs randomly selected for survey
CHAPTER IV
 Sa iyong palagay, para sa isang bilangguan, sapat
ba ang rasyon ng pagkain na inyong natanggap?
1- Kulang na kulang 2- Di-sapat 3- Sapat 4- Higit pa sa sapat

0%
0%
7%

93%
 UN-SMTP BPJ’S IMPLEMENTATION

Food
- BPJ provides food sufficient enough
20. (1) Every prisoner shall be
provided by the administration at the to sustain them
usual hours with food of nutritional
value adequate for health and - To provides, as much as possible, a
strength, of wholesome quality and
well prepared and served. balance diet to the PDLs

(2) Drinking water shall be available

to every prisoner whenever he needs
it.
 Pagkakataong maligo at maglinis ng katawan?
1- Kulang na kulang 2- Di-sapat 3- Sapat 4- Higit pa sa sapat

0%
5%

95%
Personal hygiene
-Ninety-four (94) out of One hundred (100)
15. Prisoners shall be required to keep
their persons clean, and to this end they respondents answered that they are given
shall be provided with water and with
such toilet articles as are necessary for enough time to clean themselves and to
health and cleanliness.
take a bath
16. In order that prisoners may maintain
a good appearance compatible with their -BPJ also held programs like Lumang
self-respect, facilities shall be provided
for the proper care of the hair and beard, Damit Mo, Bagong Damit Ko Tulong sa
and men shall be enabled to shave
regularly. mga Bilanggong walang dalaw, to provide

adequate clothing to PDLs and the

Pinakamalinis na selda competition to

encourage PDLs of keeping their cell

blocks clean.
Sa iyong palagay, nabigyan ka ba ng tamang
atensyon at tulong ng ikaw ay nagkaroon ng
karamdaman at sakit
Oo Hindi
0%0%
0%

100%
Meron bang mga pagkakataon na kayo ay nasusuri
ng isang doctor o espesyalista

0%

Oo
Hindi

100%
 UN-SMTP BPJ’s implementation
MEDICAL SERVICE

1. Available service of at least one -All PDL respondents positively stated

qualified medical officer—organized that medicines are provided and proper
in close relationship to the general medical services of doctor are rendered
health administration
2. Sick prisoners who require - xxx in the event that the illness is
specialist treatment shall be beyond the capability of the resident
transferred to specialized institutions doctor and the prison clinic, the BPJ
or civil hospitals. stated that they transfer sick PDLs to the
3. Service of a qualified dental officer Provincial hospital for treatment.
4. Segregation of prisoners suspected
of infectious or contagious conditions -Regular dental services are conducted
in coordination with non-government
5. The medical officer shall have the organizations and groups
care of the physical and mental health of
the prisoners and should daily see all
sick prisoners, all who complain of
illness and any prisoner to whom his
attention is specially directed
 Ikaw ba ay nasalang na sa anumang "disciplinary
process" o pagdidisiplina ng BPJ dahil sa mga
nagawang paglabag o nagawang karahasan dito sa
bilangguan?

43% Oo
Hindi

57%
Nabigyan ka ba ng pagkakataong magpaliwanag?
0%

Oo
Hindi

100%
 Sa papaanong paraan ka nila (BPJ) binigyan
disiplina?

Pinagsasabihan o
pinapangaralan

Pagpapagawa ng
35% trabaho o pagbibigay
serbisyo
Bartolina

56%
Pamamalo ng anumang
bagay

0% iba pa- hal. "cell arrest o

9% "pag ban ng dalaw"
0%
Sino ang nagpapatupad ng pagdidisiplina?
0%

Jail guard
Opisyal ng BPJ
Kapwa inmate

100%
 UN-SMTP
DISCIPLINE AND PUNISHMENT
1. Discipline and order shall be
maintained with firmness
2. No prisoner shall be employed in
the service of the institution in any
disciplinary capacity
3. No prisoner shall be punished
unless he has been informed of the
offense alleged against him—given
proper opportunity of presenting his
defence
4. Corporal punishment, punishment
by placing in a dark cell and all cruel
inhuman or degrading punishments
shall be prohibited.
BPJ’s implementation
- All PDL’s who have gone through the
disciplinary process of BPJ have
positively answered that they are
informed of their infractions and have
given the opportunity to explain and
defend themselves
- The use of Mayor system to report
infractions and violence
- Discipline impose by prison
personnel
-56% of the 53 PDLs who have
experienced the disciplinary process of
BPJ answered that they were
disciplined verbally; 9% answered that
they have rendered services or work as
a method of imposing discipline and
35% answered other methods were
used by BPJ such as “Visitor ban” and
“cell arrest”
Ikaw ba ay nabibigyan ng pagkakataon na dumulag
sa mga opisyales ng BPJ para sa iyong mga
reklamo patungkol sa anumang karahasan o kung
di sapat sa pangkaraniwan ang naibibigay na
pagkain, gamot, at ibp.
0%

Oo
Hindi

100%
Kung oo, nabibigyan ba ng aksyon
ang iyong reklamo sa karahasan?
0%

Oo
Hindi

100%
Kung ito ay hiling o panawagan,
natutugunan ba ang mga ito? O
naipapaliwanag ng maayos kung
bakit hindi ka nila
mapagbibigyan?
0%

Oo
Hindi

100%
 UN-SMTP
INFORMATION TO AND
COMPLAINTS BY PRISONERS
1. Every prisoner on admission shall
be provided with written information
about the regulations governing the
treatment of prisoners
2. Opportunity for the prisoner to
make requests or complaints
3. To be allowed to make a request or
complaint without censorship
4. Unless, it is evidently frivolous or
groundless, every request or
complaint shall be promptly dealt
with and replied to without undue
delay
BPJ’s implementation
- All the PDL respondents positively
answered that they have the
opportunity of making requests or
complaints and that BPJ take proper
actions with respect to such requests or
complaint.
- BPJ grant their request and that they
give proper explanation in the event
they could not grant the request of the
PDLs
Meron ba kayong sinasalihan o pinagdadaanang
programa na nakatuon sa rehabilitasyon at
paghahanda sa araw na ikaw ay lumaya?
(halimbawa: livelihood program o mga seminar)
0%

Oo
Hindi

100%
 UN-SMTP
SOCIAL RELATIONS AND AFTER-
CARE
1. Maintenance and improvement of such
relations between a prisoner and his
family
2. X x x released prisoners be provided
with appropriate documents and
identification papers, have suitable
homes and work to go to, are suitably
and adequately clothed.
3. Approved representatives of such
agencies shall have all necessary
access to be taken into consultation as
to the future of a prisoner
BPJ’s implementation
All of the respondents answered in the
affirmative when they were asked if
BPJ conduct programs dealing with
prisoner’s rehabilitation and
reintegration and if they are currently
going through such programs.
A. Religious Activities
B. Literacy/ Education Program, ALS/
Vocational program-livelihood training
C. Seminar/ Information Drive
D. Counselling program
E. Calisthenics Activity
And the following Reintegration Program
A. Livelihood programs
(Candle making, handicrafts, cosmetology,
paper décor, selling of recyclable
garbage, berdeng gulayan sa panlalawigang
piitan, doormat making, potholder making,
carpentry)
B. Pasyal-Piitan
C. Sports and Recreation program
D. Music program
E. Family Day
CHAPTER V
 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

What aspects of the UN-SMRTP are duly

implemented in the Bulacan Provincial Jail?
Food sufficient enough to sustain them

Personal hygiene proper attention is given

Medical services are provided

Discipline and Punishment they are informed of their

infractions and have given the opportunity to explain and defend
themselves

Information to and complaints opportunity of making

requests or complaints are given and that BPJ take proper actions
with respect to such requests or complaint.
Social relations and after care BPJ is conducting
rehabilitation and re-integration programs and that they have the
opportunity to be involved in such programs.
How BPJ implemented such aspect effectively and
how it will be
improved?

 sufficient budget in providing basic commodities

assistance from non-government institutions

in constant communication with the Governor’s office

orientation on how to receive complaint from the PDLs

innovating programs for rehabilitation and re-

integration
What are the aspects of UN-SMRTP are
least or not implemented in the BPJ?
Conclusions
1. The BPJ effectively implements UN-SMRTP provisions on
food, personal hygiene, medical services, discipline and
punishment, information to and complaint by prisoners,
social relation and after care.

2. That by allocating sufficient budget to prisons, penal

institutions capacity to provide and sustain the basic needs
of its prisoners will be strengthen

3. That by allowing the PDLs and the Prison Personnel to

communicate and interact with each other would prevent
incidents of violence and abuse

4. That rehabilitation and reintegration of PDLs must not solely

entrust with the penal institution but it should be a task
engaging the public and a community effort.
Recommendations

1. In order to further enhance the protection of

prisoner’s rights, the legislative department must enact a
law providing for a more specific and uniform minimum
standards design for prisons in the Philippines
2. The National Government to refresh or build new
penal institution that is focused on rehabilitation and
reintegration.
3. For the penal institution to be more transparent to
research and studies aimed to find ways of improving the
condition of prisons.
4. In future studies of this kind, the future researcher
must consider including all the other aspects provided
under UN-SMRTP