Baseline Study on the Philippine Penal Conditions: Nurturing o Human Rights Based Approach to Penal Management
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The inmate classification guides other components like assignment to a housing unit and types
of programs that inmates should participate in. As such, classification personnel must work closely with
personnel in charged with housing and inmate programming. To be successful, a facility must have the
structural, organizational, and cultural capacity and readiness to implement an effective classification scheme.
The criteria for classification and the procedure for administering the classification are discussed next.
i. Risks, Needs, and Responsivity (RNR) Principles
Current correctional literature suggests that classification schemes are guided by the Risk, Need
Responsivity (RNR) Principles. Briefly, the Risk principle suggests that the amount of supervision and
control accorded to inmates will be based on their risk levels, that is, high-risk inmates require more
programming supervision and control, and low risk inmates require less programming supervision and
control. The Needs principle suggests that the factors that led inmates to criminal behavior must be properly
diagnosed. The Needs principle assumes that there are different causes as to why individuals commit a
crime. Upon identification of the causes of criminal behavior, an intervention program w ill be introduced
that addresses the specific causes of the behavior. For example, inmates w ho maintain criminal thinking
(that is, endorse a criminal and illegal behavior) must be provided with intervention programs that target
their criminal cognitions. The Responsivity principle suggests that inmates respond differently to programs
and those programs must be specifically tailored
to their capacity to respond. For example, Flowchart: Management ofTorture Cases.
inmates with mental disabilities are less likely to
Source: CHRP, RA 9745 Anti-Torture Act of 2009 and It's Implementing
respond to cognitive restructuring but respond Rules and Regulations.
more effectively to behavioral therapy. The
Responsivity principle suggests that inmates must
undergo an individualized treatment plan.
The RN R principles must guide the
formulation of an Inmate Classification
Instrument (!Cl). This instrument will be
utilized to guide efforts to effectively classify
the inmates. This instrument must be regularly
updated based on its capacity to predict inmate
behavior. There must be trained personnel
who can effectively administer the instrument.
A model !Cl is provided in this guidebook
to direct initial efforts to develop an agencyspecific IC! (See Appendix A).
ii. Substantive tasks on inmate
classification, reception and
orientation
For an effective classification of inmates to
be realized, the correctional facility must have
structural, organizational, and cultural capacity
and readiness. In terms of structure, the facility
must have fully trained personnel, attendant
office space and equipment. and resources to
fund the operation of the classification unit.
22
Assistance to individuals
in crisis situations
• CSWD
• MSWD
Legal assistance
• DOJ
• CHR
•PAO