Parole and Probation Administration (Philippines)
Encyclopedia
The Parole
and Probation
Administration (Filipino: Pangasiwaan ng Parol at Probasyon), abbreviated as PPA, is an agency of the Philippine government
under the Department of Justice
responsible for providing a less costly alternative to imprisonment of first-time offenders who are likely to respond to individualized community-based treatment programs.
was first introduced in the Philippines
during the American
colonial period (1898–1945) with the enactment of Act No. 4221 of the Philippine Legislature
on August 7, 1935. This law created a Probation Office under the Department of Justice
. On November 16, 1937, after barely two years of existence, the Supreme Court of the Philippines
declared the Probation Law unconstitutional because of some defects in the law's procedural framework.
In 1972, House Bill No. 393 was filed in Congress
, which would establish a probation system in the Philippines
. This bill avoided the objectionable features of Act 4221 that struck down the 1935 law as unconstitutional. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives
, but was pending in the Senate
when Martial Law was declared and Congress
was abolished.
In 1975, the National Police Commission Interdisciplinary drafted a Probation Law. After 18 technical hearings over a period of six months, the draft decree was presented to a selected group of 369 jurists, penologists, civic leaders and social and behavioral scientists and practitioners. The group overwhelmingly endorsed the establishment of an Adult Probation System in the country.
On July 24, 1976, Presidential Decree No. 968, also known as Adult Probation Law of 1976, was signed into Law by the President of the Philippines
.
The startup of the probation system in 1976-1977 was a massive undertaking during which all judges and prosecutors nationwide were trained in probation methods and procedures; administrative and procedural manuals were developed; probation officers recruited and trained, and the central agency and probation field offices organized throughout the country. Fifteen selected probation officers were sent to United States
for orientation and training in probation administration. Upon their return, they were assigned to train the newly recruited probation officers.
The probation system started to operate on January 3, 1978. As more probation officers were recruited and trained, more field offices were opened. There are at present 204 field offices spread all over the country, supervised by 15 regional offices.
Effective August 17, 2005, by virtue of a Memorandum of Agreement with the Dangerous Drugs Board, the Administration performs another additional function of investigating and supervising first-time minor drug offenders who are placed on suspended pursuant to Republic Act No. 9165.
The Restorative Justice
process provides a healing opportunity for affected parties to facilitate the recovery of the concerned parties and allow them to move on with their lives.
The VOLUNTEER PROBATION AIDE (VPA) PROGRAM is a strategy by which the Parole and Probation Administration may be able to generate maximum citizen participation or community involvement.
Citizens of good standing in the community may volunteer to assist the probation and parole officers in the supervision of a number of probationers, parolees and conditional pardonees in their respective communities. Since they reside in the same community as the client, they are able to usher the reformation and rehabilitation of the clients hands-on.
In collaboration with the PPO, the VPA helps pave the way for the offender, victim and community to each heal from the harm resulting from the crime done. They can initiate a circle of support for clients and victims to prevent further crimes, thereby be participants in nation-building
The THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY (TC) is a self-help social learning treatment model used in the rehabilitation of drug offenders and other clients with behavioral problems. TC adheres to precepts of “right living” - Responsible Love and Concern; Truth and Honesty; the Here and Now; Personal Responsibility for Destiny; Social Responsibility (brother’s keeper); Moral Code; Work Ethics and Pride in Quality.
The Therapeutic Community
(TC) is an environment that helps people get help while helping themselves. It operates in a similar fashion to a functional family with a hierarchical structure of older and younger members. Each member has a defined role and responsibilities for sustaining the proper functioning of the TC. There are sets of rules and community norms that members commit to live by and uphold upon entry. The primary “therapist” and teacher is the community itself, consisting of peers, staff/probation and parole officers and even
Volunteer Probation Aides (VPA), who, as role models of successful personal change, serve as guides in the recovery process.
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
and Probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
Administration (Filipino: Pangasiwaan ng Parol at Probasyon), abbreviated as PPA, is an agency of the Philippine government
Politics of the Philippines
The Politics of the Philippines takes place in an organized framework of a presidential, representative, and democratic republic whereby the president is both the head of state and the head of government within a pluriform multi-party system...
under the Department of Justice
Department of Justice (Philippines)
The Department of Justice , abbreviated as DOJ, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for upholding the rule of law in the Philippines...
responsible for providing a less costly alternative to imprisonment of first-time offenders who are likely to respond to individualized community-based treatment programs.
History
ProbationProbation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
was first introduced in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
during the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
colonial period (1898–1945) with the enactment of Act No. 4221 of the Philippine Legislature
Congress of the Philippines
The Congress of the Philippines is the national legislature of the Republic of the Philippines. It is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate , and the House of Representatives although commonly in the Philippines the term congress refers to the latter.The Senate is composed of 24 senators half...
on August 7, 1935. This law created a Probation Office under the Department of Justice
Department of Justice (Philippines)
The Department of Justice , abbreviated as DOJ, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for upholding the rule of law in the Philippines...
. On November 16, 1937, after barely two years of existence, the Supreme Court of the Philippines
Supreme Court of the Philippines
The Supreme Court of the Philippines is the Philippines' highest judicial court, as well as the court of last resort. The court consists of 14 Associate Justices and 1 Chief Justice...
declared the Probation Law unconstitutional because of some defects in the law's procedural framework.
In 1972, House Bill No. 393 was filed in Congress
Congress of the Philippines
The Congress of the Philippines is the national legislature of the Republic of the Philippines. It is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate , and the House of Representatives although commonly in the Philippines the term congress refers to the latter.The Senate is composed of 24 senators half...
, which would establish a probation system in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. This bill avoided the objectionable features of Act 4221 that struck down the 1935 law as unconstitutional. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives
House of Representatives of the Philippines
The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower chamber of the...
, but was pending in the Senate
Senate of the Philippines
The Senate of the Philippines is the upper chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, the Congress of the Philippines...
when Martial Law was declared and Congress
Congress of the Philippines
The Congress of the Philippines is the national legislature of the Republic of the Philippines. It is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate , and the House of Representatives although commonly in the Philippines the term congress refers to the latter.The Senate is composed of 24 senators half...
was abolished.
In 1975, the National Police Commission Interdisciplinary drafted a Probation Law. After 18 technical hearings over a period of six months, the draft decree was presented to a selected group of 369 jurists, penologists, civic leaders and social and behavioral scientists and practitioners. The group overwhelmingly endorsed the establishment of an Adult Probation System in the country.
On July 24, 1976, Presidential Decree No. 968, also known as Adult Probation Law of 1976, was signed into Law by the President of the Philippines
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
.
The startup of the probation system in 1976-1977 was a massive undertaking during which all judges and prosecutors nationwide were trained in probation methods and procedures; administrative and procedural manuals were developed; probation officers recruited and trained, and the central agency and probation field offices organized throughout the country. Fifteen selected probation officers were sent to United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for orientation and training in probation administration. Upon their return, they were assigned to train the newly recruited probation officers.
The probation system started to operate on January 3, 1978. As more probation officers were recruited and trained, more field offices were opened. There are at present 204 field offices spread all over the country, supervised by 15 regional offices.
The Organization
The Probation Administration was created by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 968, “The Probation Law of 1976”, to administer the probation system. Under Executive Order No. 292, “The Administrative Code of 1987” which was promulgated on November 23, 1989, the Probation Administration was renamed “Parole and Probation Administration” and given the added function of supervising prisoners who, after serving part of their sentence in jails are released on parole pardon with parole conditionsEffective August 17, 2005, by virtue of a Memorandum of Agreement with the Dangerous Drugs Board, the Administration performs another additional function of investigating and supervising first-time minor drug offenders who are placed on suspended pursuant to Republic Act No. 9165.
Mission
To rehabilitate probationers, parolees and pardonees and promote their development as integral persons by utilizing innovative interventions and techniques which respect the dignity of man and recognize his divine destiny.Mandate
The Parole and Probation Administration is mandated to conserve and/or redeem convicted offenders and prisoners who are under the probation or parole system.Goals
The Administration's programs sets to achieve the following goals:- Promote the reformation of criminal offenders and reduce the incidence of recedivism, and
- Provide a cheaper alternative to the institutional confinement of first-time offenders who are likely to respond to individualized, community-based treatment programs.
Functions
To carry out these goals, the Agency through its network of regional and field parole and probation offices performs the following functions:- to administer the parole and probation system
- to exercise supervision over parolees, pardonees and probationers
- to promote the correction and rehabilitation of criminal offenders
Major Rehabilitation Programs
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE (RJ) is a philosophy and a process whereby stakeholders in a specific offense resolve collectively how to deal with the aftermath of the offense and its implications for the future. It is a victim-centered response to crime that provides opportunity for those directly affected by the crime - the victim, the offender, their families and the community - to be directly involved in responding to the harm caused by the crime. Its ultimate objective is to restore the broken relationships among stakeholders.The Restorative Justice
Restorative justice
Restorative justice is an approach to justice that focuses on the needs of victims, offenders, as well as the involved community, instead of satisfying abstract legal principles or punishing the offender...
process provides a healing opportunity for affected parties to facilitate the recovery of the concerned parties and allow them to move on with their lives.
The VOLUNTEER PROBATION AIDE (VPA) PROGRAM is a strategy by which the Parole and Probation Administration may be able to generate maximum citizen participation or community involvement.
Citizens of good standing in the community may volunteer to assist the probation and parole officers in the supervision of a number of probationers, parolees and conditional pardonees in their respective communities. Since they reside in the same community as the client, they are able to usher the reformation and rehabilitation of the clients hands-on.
In collaboration with the PPO, the VPA helps pave the way for the offender, victim and community to each heal from the harm resulting from the crime done. They can initiate a circle of support for clients and victims to prevent further crimes, thereby be participants in nation-building
The THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY (TC) is a self-help social learning treatment model used in the rehabilitation of drug offenders and other clients with behavioral problems. TC adheres to precepts of “right living” - Responsible Love and Concern; Truth and Honesty; the Here and Now; Personal Responsibility for Destiny; Social Responsibility (brother’s keeper); Moral Code; Work Ethics and Pride in Quality.
The Therapeutic Community
Therapeutic community
Therapeutic community is a term applied to a participative, group-based approach to long-term mental illness, personality disorders and drug addiction...
(TC) is an environment that helps people get help while helping themselves. It operates in a similar fashion to a functional family with a hierarchical structure of older and younger members. Each member has a defined role and responsibilities for sustaining the proper functioning of the TC. There are sets of rules and community norms that members commit to live by and uphold upon entry. The primary “therapist” and teacher is the community itself, consisting of peers, staff/probation and parole officers and even
Volunteer Probation Aides (VPA), who, as role models of successful personal change, serve as guides in the recovery process.