Voices Behind Bars: The Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) and their Lived Experiences in the Prison Institution

The raising concerns among the Persons Deprived of Liberty with their incarceration has been a controversial issue worldwide due to the multiple challenges that they experienced during their incarceration. This study aims to determine the lived experiences of the PDL and how they deal with their experiences while incarcerated, with an end view of determining the PDL recommendations to strengthen the rehabilitation programs of the Prison Institution using a descriptive phenomenological approach of qualitative research. Eight (8) PDL from the Prison Institution of Santiago City, Philippines were selected as key informants of the study based from the PDL years of incarceration, with undergoing trial in no particular case and the language that they used. The data were gathered through semi-structured interview and were interpreted using a thematic analysis. Based on the analysis of data, eleven themes were developed based from the PDL’s lived experiences, such as, engaging in productive, educational, recreational and religious activities, loss connection with love ones, dissatisfaction with prison meals, residing in uncrowded place, misunderstanding, unequal treatment, delayed justice, and physical sickness among the Persons Deprived of Liberty’s; three themes were also developed as strategy to deal with the challenges they experience, such as, finding diversion through livelihood, TESDA, ALS, and sport participation, resilience through spiritual connection and counseling inside the Prison Institution; and three themes was developed based from the PDL’s recommendations, such as, expediency of their legal proceeding, expansion of the livelihood programs along with the empowerment of product promotion and hygiene support for their better rehabilitation. In connection to the findings of the study, the researchers concluded that the PDL’s experienced difficulty while undergoing incarceration, however their difficulties was overcome through their participation to various activities offered within the Prison Institution. In addition, the findings of the study provides an important foundation for increasing the public awareness and contributing to the reintegration process of the former PDL’s.