VIP: Very Important Prison(er)s The Philippine Penal System as a Mirror of Philippine Society

Abstract

The Philippine penal system is an institution composed of several government agencies that are tasked with the detention and imprisonment of different kinds of people, hence, it can be considered as a miniature version of society. There are rules governing behavior inside its cells, and an authority, in the form of agencies such as the BJMP, the PNP and the BuCor, that has control over the inmates/prisoners and the conditions that they live with. However, what is interesting is that the existence and state of some socioeconomic conditions are reflected upon the conditions prevailing jails and prisons. By analyzing relevant pieces of information, a considerable link between social stratification, poverty, education, and employment, and crime rates, recidivism, congestion, number of inmates/prisoners and preferential treatment, can be established.