This study aimed to assess the relevance of the policies on Inmates’ Welfare and development Program, in terms of guiding principles and service/activities. Likewise, it also included the proposed changes on the salient provisions of the operational policies on Inmates’ Welfare and Development Program, and the proposed changes on the salient provisions of the operational policies on Inmates’ Welfare and Development Program in relation to the aforementioned variables. This study made used of two hundred seventy-five (275) respondents composing of two groups, as follows: the twenty-one (21) jail personnel, and two hundred fifty-four (254) inmates. The respondents were extracted from the actual number of personnel and inmates using the Slovin’s formula. The survey instruments and the interview guide were used in gathering the needed data. Moreover, it made used of percentage, average weighted mean, f-test or ANOVA as statistical tools. The locale of the study was in one of the big jail of BJMPRO3, particularly at Olongapo District Jail (ODJ), which is situated at Barrio Barretto, Olongapo City.
The jail personnel of the Olongapo District Jail and the inmates assessed the policies on inmates’ welfare and development program in terms of guiding principles and services and activities. They also assessed the changes that can be proposed on the policies on inmates’ welfare development program in terms of guiding principles and services and activities as framework for streamlining the operational policies on inmates’ welfare development program. The significant difference between the assessments of the two (2) groups of respondents on the policies on inmates’ welfare development program, and the proposed changes were also measured. An enhanced policy on inmates’ welfare development program was formulated based from the results of the study.
Based on the results of the study, the following were concluded: The jail personnel and inmates regarded both the guiding principles and the services/activities of the operational policies on Inmates’ Welfare and Development of the BJMP manual as highly relevant. However, specifically, the jail personnel assessed majority of the guiding principles as only relevant while the inmates gave the majority assessment as highly relevant. On the services and activities, the personnel assessed majority of the indicators as highly relevant but with two regarded as relevant while the inmates assessed them all as highly relevant as they play a vital role in the welfare and development of inmates while in detention. The two groups of respondents have different perspectives on the guiding principles and on the service/activities of Inmates’ Welfare and Development as shown in the tests of significant difference. These therefore entail further enhancement of both the guiding principles and service/activities of the operational policies on inmates welfare and development program to provide parallelism of understanding for the jail personnel (implementer) and inmates (clients) as they are the main characters of the jail, all others are but mere supporting casts or extras. All the seventeen (17) changes that can be proposed on the guiding principles of the operational policies on Inmates’ Welfare and Development were highly recommended by the respondents, sixteen (16) of which were assessed higher than the existing guiding principles. The two groups of respondents have similar views on the changes that can be proposed on the guiding principles, and the services and activities policies of the Inmates Welfare and development. The manual revisions on the operational policies on Inmates Welfare Development Program are based on the adoption of the sixteen (16) of the seventeen (17) proposed guiding principles and the fourteen (14) components of the proposed services and activities.
Based on the conclusions of the study, the following were the recommendations: Continuous monitoring and the strict implementation of the existing manual while adopting provisions which can be included in the manual. Orientation classes or sessions the IWD programs must be conducted to the inmates to let them know the benefits of such programs thereby encouraging them to actively participate in all the activities as these were intended for their own benefit. Adoption of the sixteen (16) of the seventeen (17) proposed changes in the guiding principles that offset the assessment on the existing guidelines of the operational policies on IWD of the BJMP manual, to include the fourteen (14) proposed changes in the service/activities. Endorsement of the proposed changes on IWD guiding principles and service/activities to the higher BJMP authorities supported by results of this study for review and possible revision of the BJMP manual in consideration of the action plan.