Background and Rationale
- Recognizes knowledge and information as essential to nation-building
- Emphasizes the importance of intellectual development among persons deprived of liberty (PDL)
- Underlines the mandate for prisons to maintain libraries with recreational and instructional books
- Identifies challenges posed by unregulated reading materials, including fire hazards, misuse for illicit purposes, and interference with jail security procedures
- Aims to regulate entry, use, and disposal to prevent illegal and unsafe practices
Purposes of the Circular
- Control the entry of reading materials into jails
- Regulate the use of reading materials by PDL
- Monitor and supervise storage and disposal of reading materials
- Provide sanctions for violations
Scope of Application
- Applicable to all jails manned by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) nationwide
Key Definitions
- Reading Material (RM): inclusive of bibles, books, magazines, educational and communication materials
- Unauthorized Reading Material (URM): materials with obscene, pornographic, subversive content, or maps of jail vicinities, including coded or unconventional writings
- Record of Reading Materials (RRM): official log of all reading materials used by PDL
- Censorship: suppression or prohibition of content deemed obscene, politically unacceptable, or security threats
General Policies
- Regulate and monitor the entry and use of reading materials considering safety and security implications
Guidelines and Procedures
- Maintain a Record of Reading Materials (RRM), categorizing by personal use, common use, religious, educational, or informative materials, each tagged with unique identifiers
- Duty searchers inspect all incoming RMs; unauthorized materials are confiscated or returned
- IWD Unit responsible for recording and tagging authorized RMs
- Donations by service providers undergo inspection before PDL access
- Borrowed common use RMs have set return periods: 1 day for newspapers, magazines, flyers; 3 days for educational materials
- Logbook maintained by IWD personnel to record borrowers, dates, and RM details
- PDL allowed personal RMs with registration and limitations on quantity and time in cells
- Destruction or tampering with RMs prohibited; missing pages lead to disciplinary proceedings
- One bible per PDL permitted, duly registered
- PDL enrolled in Alternative Learning System (ALS) allowed to keep educational modules, monitored by IWD
- Confiscated URMs turned over to contraband custodian; violators face disciplinary action
- Excess RMs returned to relatives or stored; unclaimed materials disposed after one month
- Aiding entry or use of URM strictly prohibited
- PDL upon release or transfer must surrender or bring RMs; no transfer of RMs to other PDL allowed
Implementation, Monitoring, and Supervision
- Jail Warden responsible for policy education and implementation
- Chief, Custodial Unit oversees safety, security, and disposition
- Chief, IWD Section manages categorization, coordination with donors, and RM regulation including educational materials
Penal Clause
- Non-compliance with policy will result in corresponding sanctions
Separability Clause
- Invalidity of any provision does not affect the validity of the remaining provisions
Repealing Clause
- Inconsistent existing issuances are amended or modified
Effectivity
- Circular takes effect 15 days after filing at the University of the Philippines Law Center, according to the Administrative Code of 1987