Freedom and Death Inside the Jail.pdf - The Action Program for ...

Livelihood workers complain about their work area
being reduced so as to accommodate the mini-gym.
Visitors are sometimes the casualties of conflicts
between Jail management and inmates.
Visitors may not be allowed to enter until inmates yield
to the demands of the management.
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Freedom and Death Inside The Jail
Other jail officers do not believe in the Panunungkulan
System. To these officers, it is
against the Jail’s rules and procedures for some
inmates to have authority over the others.
Inmates, particularly the nanunungkulan,
naturally resent these jail officers. These
inmates would defy the orders of jail officers
by calling a “sit down strike” whereby they
will refuse to go out of their cells during the
headcount. At times, inmates would not be
allowed by the nanunungkulan to attend their
court hearings putting jail officers at the risk of
being cited for contempt. Inmates can also use
the inadequacy of jail facilities (overcrowded
cells), services (bad food), and programs (lack
of support for livelihood projects) as issues to
make it appear before the media and the BJMP
that the management is ineffective. Cell leaders
would ultimately initiate a noise barrage
and demand the transfer or replacement of
jail officers.
Management, for its part, has its own tricks
against inmates. They can counter silent protests,
for example, by imposing a non-visiting
day. Or, they will allow visitors to enter
but only those of inmates who are not part
of the protest. This tactic effectively divides
the ranks of inmates. Other jail officers are
more vicious. They can lock all inmates in
their overcrowded cells and cut off the power
supply to deny them of ventilation. They also
implement disciplinary actions in the Jail
through oppressive means so as to instill fear
among inmates.
Sometimes, the management can simply
request the courts to transfer inmate leaders or
an entire brigade to Bicutan, just as what they
did to Bahala na Gang in 1997. But if worse
comes to worst, they could just shoot the inmates
in cases of extreme disturbances.
Jail Officers vs Jail Officers
Jail officers have issues among themselves,
as well. These issues usually involve control
over the business ventures and the exercise
of power over the cells. They know that each