mm mm Empowered lives. Resilient nat;ons. Foreword P ENAL MANAGEMENT in the Philippines faces several pressing issues. Overcrowding of jails and prisons, fragmentation within the corrections system, a lack of information Technology systems to properly maintain inmates' records and process documents, and the lack of awareness and understanding by some prison and jail officials of the basic entitlements of inmates. These factors collectively have meant that individuals, both detained and convicted, are at risk of inhumane treatment and denial of human rights. To address the situation, UNDP is working in close partnership with the Commission on Human Rights under the project: "Nurturing a Culture of Human Rights" to develop a human rights-based approach (HRBA) to penal management. HRBA is an effective way of rooting the plans, policies, and processes of penal management to the human rights principles that have been established by international law and ratified by the Philippine government. This baseline study is an integral part of this initiative, as it aims to drive home the importance of an integrated penal management framework grounded in the principles of human rights. It is our hope that this study will be used by: staff working in detention center jails, and prisons; policy makers; civil society; and government oversight bodies. We hope that this study provides a platform on which these entities can contribute to nurturing a human rights based approach to penal management. With a strong partnership under this rights-based approach, it will be possible to ensure safe and orderly facilities, as well as the humane treatment of individuals. This will ultimately improve the chances of successful rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates into society as responsibl citizens. 3