What are the procedures for the grant of good conduct time allowance under Republic Act 10592? The current mess in the implementation of the Good Conduct Time Allowance pursuant to RA 10592 reveals that there is evidently misinterpretation and laxity in the enforcement thereof.
The Grant of Good Conduct Time Allowance was an amendment to Articles 29, 94, 97, 98 and 99 of the Revised Penal Code and was yet approved in May 29, 2013 by then President Benigno S. Aquino III. However, it was only lately that this law became controversial when Ex-Mayor Antonio Sanchez was reported to be released under Republic Act 10592.
Under Rule V Section 3 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 10592, the Management, Screening and Evaluation Committee (MSEC) on the grant of good conduct time allowance comprised of the following with their mandated duties, to wit:
- The Director of BUCOR, Chief of the BJMP and Wardens of various provinces, cities, districts and municipalities are mandated to assess, evaluate and grant time deduction to a deserving prisoner, whether detained or convicted by final judgment, in the form of GCTA, STAL and TASTM as prescribed by these Rules through the creation of the MSEC.
- The composition of the MSEC shall be determined by the Director of the BUCOR, Chief of the BJMP or Wardens of Provincial and Sub-Provincial, District, City, and Municipal Jails, respectively. Membership shall not be less than five (5) and shall include a probation and Parole Officer, and if available, a psychologist and a social worker.
- The MSEC shall prepare minutes of every meeting to record each proceeding.
Rule V Section 4 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations provide for the Procedures for the Grant of Good Conduct Time Allowance under Republic Act 10592:
The following procedures shall be followed in the grant of GCTA:
A. The BUCOR, BJMP and Provincial Jails shall give special considerations to satisfactory behavior of a detention or convicted prisoner consisting of active involvement in rehabilitation programs, productive participation in authorized work activities or accomplishment of exemplary deeds. It is understood that in all instances, the detained or convicted prisoner must faithful obey all prison/jail rules and regulations;
B. The BUCOR, BJMP and Provincial Jails shall each create the MSEC or such appropriate number of MSECs task to manage, screen and evaluate the behavior or conduct of a detention or convicted prisoner;
C. After due consideration of the behavior or conduct shown by a detained or convicted prisoner, the MSEC shall then recommend to the appropriate official the appropriate GCTA that may be credited in favor of said prisoner ranging from the minimum allowable credit to the maximum credit thereof;
D. Acting on the recommendation of the MSEC, the appropriate official named in Section 1 of Rule VIII hereof shall either:
- Approve the recommendation and issue a certification granting GCTA to the prisoner of the particular period;
- Disapprove the recommendation if the prisoner recommended is not qualified to be granted the benefit or that errors or irregularities attended the evaluation of the prisoner; or
- Return the recommendation, without action, for corrections as regards the name, prison number or other clerical or inadvertent errors, or for further evaluation of the conduct or behavior of the prisoner concerned.
E. The appropriate official concerned shall ensure that GCTAs are processed each month and that there is proper recording of a prisoner’s good behavior in the jail or prison records.
Download the full copy of the IRR of Republic Act 10592 below:
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RA 10592 – Good Conduct Time Allowance Law [Full Text]
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