PENOLOGY VERSUS DEVELOPMENT OF DETAINEES

There appears to be a conflict of interests in the role of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP). While their agency name alludes to “penology” as one of their functions, their mandate states that it is responsible for the “safekeeping and development of people deprived of liberties” (PDLs). The Merriam-Webster dictionary says that a “jail” is supposed to be a place to keep people who are awaiting trial or are held for minor crimes, whereas a “prison” is a place for people convicted of serious crimes. I am sure that the distinction is clear enough for anyone to understand, but more often than not, these two terms are often used interchangeably. Regardless of whether a facility is a “jail” or a “prison”, I think that the objective should be to reform or develop a person, and not to punish or penalize him or her. In reality however, the opposite is happening in our “jails” and “prisons”, because they have become places where people become more hardened criminals, perhaps more severe than when they came in. In theory, detainees of “jails” are not supposed to stay for more than one year, not unless they are convicted of minor crimes and are sentenced to longer detention time. Assuming however that their detention period would not be extended, it would really be best to “develop” their character and their skills so that they could rejoin society as responsible and productive citizens. 12/24/2023