QuestionsQuestions (Act No. 2489)
It is intended to encourage industrial compensation, activity, and earlier release from confinement by rewarding Insular prisoners who show exceptional conduct and workmanship with compensation and, in certain cases, sentence modifications.
Compensation may come from the profits accruing to the credit of the industrial division of the Bureau of Prisons through the sale of articles manufactured by prisoners, or from payments made for work performed by them.
The compensation cannot exceed the difference between the gross cost of the prisoner’s maintenance and the amount that the prisoner’s services are reasonably worth.
All prisoners in the same conduct and workmanship classifications must receive like compensation, regardless of the nature of the work they perform.
At least fifty percent of the amount accumulating to the credit of prisoners under the Act is withheld until after final discharge.
The remainder (not withheld) may be disbursed upon the prisoner’s request for support of dependent family members or for personal use approved by the Director of Prisons; a larger proportion may be disbursed upon satisfactory evidence of necessity.
To promulgate suitable rules defining eligibility requirements for conduct and workmanship classifications, fixing amounts and methods for compensation payments, and defining forfeiture methods for neglect in work or other misconduct.
They may receive five days for each calendar month during which their work and conduct have been exemplary, in addition to regular good conduct time credits under Act No. 1533.
It provides that the life sentence is automatically modified to a sentence of thirty years when the executive approval for the classification is granted, with regular and special credit for good conduct applicable as authorized by law.
They forfeit all special credits and modifications authorized under the Act, in addition to any other forfeitures or punishments that may be imposed.
It states that forfeitures of credits of the special allowance provided in the two preceding sections will be made to accord with the provisions of Act No. 1533.
By executive approval and recommendation of the Director of Prisons, the provisions may be made applicable to all first-class workmen confined in Bilibid Prison who have earned eligibility for classification as penal colonists or trusties by serving one-fifth of the sentence (or seven years for life-sentenced prisoners), if they petition in writing to remain in the industrial division.
No prisoner shall receive the benefit of Section 7 during the first two years of imprisonment unless authorized by the Director of Prisons for special reasons.
Any prisoner who has previously been convicted twice or oftener of any crime or misdemeanor.
It makes the provisions retroactive in so far as they affect the status of prisoners classified as penal colonists on the date of passage, authorizing credits and sentence modifications from and including the date the penal colonist classification was conferred.
It becomes effective as of January 1, 1915.