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• During the pre-colonial times, the informal prison system in the Philippines was community-based.
• The formal prison system in the Philippines started during the Spanish regime with the establishment of the Old Bilibid Prison in 1847.
• The Old Bilibid Prison, also known as the "Carcel y Presidio Correccional," could accommodate 1,127 prisoners and was designed to house prisoners segregated by class, sex, and crime.
• The San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City was established in 1869 to confine Muslim rebels and political prisoners opposed to Spanish rule.
• The following documents should be submitted to the Immigration Commissioner: 1) Certified copies of the court decision, 2) Synopsis of the prison record, 3) Expected date of release.
• The Director of Corrections must notify the Commissioner of Immigration 30 days before the approximate date of release for a foreign national prisoner.
• Inmates are prohibited from being released from prison 60 days before and 30 days after an election, except for valid or legal reasons.
• In instances when an inmate has a pending criminal case, they should be turned over to the court for disposition.
• If an inmate to be released has a pending case, the Director must give the court where the case is pending at least 30 days' notice before the actual date of release.
• After registration, the inmate undergoes administrative routines such as being photographed, fingerprinted, and assigned a Prison Number.
• Legal documents required for admission include Provincial Form Number 45, Commitment Order of the Court/Mittimus, Information and Court Decision of the Case, Certification of Detention, and Certification that the case is not on appeal.
• Upon admission, the inmate undergoes a strip search and inventory of personal property.
• Each prison has a reception center for newly admitted national prisoners.
• Inmates can achieve "colonist status" based on their character, credit for work, and good conduct.
• Male prisoners are subjected to a regulation haircut and issued uniforms and other items.
• A registration/log book is maintained with details of the newly received prisoner.
• When the Americans took over in the 1900s, the Bureau of Prisons was created under the Reorganization Act of 1905.
• The San Ramon Prison was placed under the auspices of the Bureau of Prisons in 1915.
• The Fort Bonifacio Prison was originally used as a detention center for offenders of US military laws and ordinances.
• The Davao Penal Colony was opened in 1932 under Act No. 3732.
• The Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro and the Leyte Regional Prison were established under proclamations in 1954 and 1973, respectively.
• After World War II, the security fences of the prison were reinforced with steel matting and concrete slabs.
• The high school course for prisoners started in 1956 at San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City
• The Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) was created in 1929 under Act No. 3579.
• The Iuhit penal settlement (now Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm) was established by the Americans in 1904 on a reservation of 28,072 hectares.
• The area expanded to 41,007 hectares by 1912.
• The Old Bilibid Prison in Manila was transferred to the new site in Muntinlupa in 1940.
• The new institution was officially named the New Bilibid Prison in 1941 and had a capacity of 3,000 prisoners.
• The original institution became the maximum security compound and additional facilities were constructed.
• San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm was established in 1869 by the Spanish authorities for political offenders
• The Correctional Institution for Women was established in 1931 in Mandaluyong City
• The Iwahig Penal Colony in Palawan was established to serve as an institution for incorrigibles
• The Davao Prison and Penal Farm was used as a concentration camp for American prisoners of war during World War II
• Dr. Jose Rizal, a Filipino political prisoner, was confined at San Ramon Prison
• The Correctional Institution for Women has an 18-hectare piece of land in Mandaluyong Metro Manila
• The Iwahig Penal Colony was converted to a colony for well-behaved and tractable prisoners in 1905
• The Davao Prison and Penal Farm was established in January 1932 and is mostly devoted to abaca production
• The Iwahig Penal Colony has a land area of 36,000 hectares and is divided into four sub-colonies
• The San Ramon Penal Farm has an estimated area of 1,546 hectares
• This is the only female prison institution in the Philippines.