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

How well do our correctional institutions reform
and rehabilitate erring citizens?
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Freedom and Death Inside The Jail
Support Structures
The Good Citizen
Citizenship has three components. One is
awareness of the law. The individual knows and
understands the rules and regulations—from
those specifically observed in his community
(cultural) to those observed in all parts of the
world (universal); from those purposely written
in books (constitution, statuettes) to those written
on the walls (etiquette, norms).
Another component of citizenship is economic
empowerment or financial autonomy. The individual
has a legal source of income that enables
him to provide for his or her own needs, be it as
essential as food or as mundane as jewelry.
The third is value formation. The individual
finds meaning in observing the law and in putting
economic power to good use. He is aware of
his rights but, at the same time, understands his
responsibility to other people and to society. He
believes that murder is unacceptable not simply
because it is against the law, but more importantly
because it is disrespect of other people’s right to
life. He does not steal because he is aware of other
people’s right to own property.
For the correctional institution to accomplish its task of reforming
and rehabilitating erring citizens, it should have adequate
facilities, personnel, and programs. It should be able to provide
inmates their basic needs, such as food, clothing, bedding, medicine,
and education. It should also be able to give inmates legal,
medical, and psychosocial support.
The correctional institution, however, is only one of the key
players in the criminal justice system. It needs the cooperation
and support of the other players, such as the law enforcement
agencies and the judiciary. It is the law enforcement agencies that
apprehend a citizen who commits a criminal act and brings him
or her to the correctional institution. The judiciary, meanwhile,
evaluates the charges against the citizen who is sent to prison if
found guilty and freed if not.
If these two players bungle their respective tasks—the police apprehending
suspects without proper investigation and the courts
taking forever to decide on a case—the correctional institution,