Therapeutic Modalities: The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners

# Therapeutic Modalities ## The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules For The Treatment Of Prisoners (The Nelson Mandela Rules) - It provides states with detailed guidelines for protecting the rights of persons deprived of their liberty. - The rules are based on an obligation to treat all prison...

# Therapeutic Modalities ## The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules For The Treatment Of Prisoners (The Nelson Mandela Rules) - It provides states with detailed guidelines for protecting the rights of persons deprived of their liberty. - The rules are based on an obligation to treat all prisoners with respect for their inherent dignity and value of human beings, and to prohibit torture and other forms of illtreatment. ### Basic Principles of the Nelson Mandela Rules - **Rule 1:** All prisoners shall be treated with the respect due to the inherent dignity and value as human beings. No prisoner shall be subjected to, and all prisoners shall be protected from, torture and other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment, for which no circumstances whatsoever may be invoked as a justification. The safety and security of prisoners, staff, service providers and visitors shall be ensured at all times. - **Rule 2:** The present rules shall be applied impartially. There shall be no discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or any other status. - **Rule 3:** Imprisonment and other measures that result in cutting off persons from outside world are afflictive by the very fact of taking from these persons the right of self-determination by depriving them of their liberty. Therefore the prison system shall not, except as incidental to justifiable separation or the maintenance of discipline, aggravate suffering inherent in such a situation - **Rule 4:** The purposes of a sentence of imprisonment or similar measures deprivative of person's liberty are primarily to protect society against crime and to reduce recidivism. - **Rule 5:** The prison regime should seek to minimize any differences between prison life and life at liberty that tend to lessen the responsibility of the prisoners or the respect due to their dignity as human beings. ## Goals of Criminal Sentencing 1. **Retribution:** Act of setting a punishment for someone that fits the crime. Based on lex talionis or the law of retaliation. 2. **Incapacitation:** It refers to the act of making an individual incapable of committing a crime by execution or banishment and in more modern times by execution or lengthy periods of incarceration. 3. **Deterrence:** It is the use of punishment to stop potential criminals from committing crimes. 4. **Rehabilitation:** It is the process of helping inmates grow and change, allowing them to separate themselves from the environmental factors that made them commit a crime in the first place. 5. **Restoration:** The process where victims, offenders and communities affected by a particular offense meet to find a way to restore or make amends for the harm resulting from an offense. ## Rehabilitation and Reformation of PDL - **Rehabilitation:** Is a program of activity directed to restore a PDL self respect and sense of responsibility to the community, there making him/her a law-abiding citizen after serving his/her sentence. - **Reformation:** Is a means of amending or improving by changing an inmate’s behavior or removing his or her faults or abuse and removing or correcting an abuse of a wrong or error. It refers to the acts which ensures the public that released national inmates are no longer harmful to the community by becoming reformed individuals prepared to live a normal and productive life upon reintegration to the mainstream of society. ## History of Rehabilitative and Reformative Approach - During the Medieval period till the 18th century, the punishments were cruel and retributive in nature. - Punishments were designed not only just to cause pain but also to humiliate offenders in front of the whole society. - The development of the reformative and rehabilitative approach in criminal justice started during the ENLIGHTENMENT AGE. ## BJMP Mandates and Functions ### Mandates: - BJMP is mandated to direct, supervise and control the administration and operation of all district, city and municipal jails nationwide with pronged tasks of safekeeping and development of PDL. ### Functions: - In line with its mission, the Jail Bureau endeavors to perform the following functions: - Formulate policies and guidelines in the administration of all district, city, and municipal jails nationwide. - Implement strong security measures for the control of PDL. - Provide for the basic needs of PDL. - Conduct activities for the development of PDL. - Improve jail facilities. - Promote the general welfare and development of personnel. ## Programs ### Major Programs: - There are four (4) major programs under the mandate of BJMP and they are the following: - PDL custody, security and control program - PDL welfare and development program - Decongestion program - Good governance ### Core Programs: - **A. Provisions of Basic Needs**: All PDL under custody are provided with three (3) meals (breakfast, lunch and supper). Adequate supply of potable water is made available to them at all times. Likewise, upon admission, each PDL is issued his or her PDL uniform consisting of the yellow shirt and brown jogging pants. Hygiene kits are also distributed to the PDL on monthly or quarterly basis. Occasionally, the provision of basic needs for the PDL is supplemented by the food and non-food donations from local government units, non-government organizations, business sector and private individuals. - **B. Health Services**: Health services for PDL consist of interventions towards the prevention, promotion, treatment of illnesses and rehabilitation. All PDL undergo medical assessment upon admission. During confinement, PDL are provided with health education and counseling, medical consultations, regular health monitoring, and provided medicines subject to availability. To maintain the physical health of PDL, they are allowed daily sunning and physical exercises. - **C. Educational Program**: The educational program aims to provide opportunities for PDL to achieve mandatory education. For this reason, BJMP adopted the Alternative Learning System (ALS) of the Department of Education for the PDL to earn their elementary and high school diplomas. Teachers in the jail-based ALS are BJMP Personnel who are professional teachers and trained on the Instructional Method for ALS. In jails where there are no personnel trained to handle ALS classes, the ALS teachers would be coming from the Department of Education. All PDL enrolled in the ALS earn their respective Time Allowance for Teaching, Studying and Mentoring (TASTM) pursuant to RA 10592. - **D. Skills Training/Enhancement Program**: The objective of the skills training program is to equip the PDL with technical/vocational skills which they can use in seeking employment or starting their own business after release from confinement. To make the PDL as competitive as other potential job seekers, the skills trainings preferred are those accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) so that the PDL will be able to earn National Certifications. Thus, only the PDL who meet the eligibility requirements of the specific skills training program being offered can participate. - **E. Livelihood Program**: The livelihood program presents income-generating activities to PDL during their confinement where they are able to earn for their personal upkeep and for financial support to their families. The capital for the livelihood project are either from BJMP for BJMP-funded projects or from the common fund of a group of PDL for non-BJMP funded projects. Examples of continuing and most popular livelihood projects of PDL are bags and purses, bonsai made of beads, pastries, rugs, paper crafts, and wood crafts. To help the PDL earn from these livelihood projects, the jail Unit Welfare and Development Officer (UWDO) facilitates the sale of the products in display centers or livelihood caravans organized by the local government units and other service providers. In addition, online or e-marketing of PDL products is also run by the jail unit Welfare and Development Office. - **F. Behavioral Management/Modification Program**: BJMP implements the Therapeutic Community Modality Program (TCMP) to manage and modify behaviors of PDL with the goal of positively changing their thinking and behavior through structured group processes. The program endeavors to teach and model positive thinking, pro-social values, good decision-making, and positive coping. Through the program, PDL are trained on socially acceptable ways of behaving and relating with their fellow PDL and with personnel and visitors thereby fostering a therapeutic jail environment and maintaining a peaceful communal atmosphere. - **G. Interfaith Program**: PDL are provided with the opportunity to practice their faith while under custody without discrimination, subject only to usual safety and security measures. The BJMP chaplains and imams provide different religious services such as but not limited to mass celebrations, communal prayers, spiritual counseling, catechism, and others. Religious organizations and their respective ministers/pastors and leaders are accredited by BJMP to facilitate their regular contact with PDL for the provision of religious services. - **H. Cultural and Sports Program**: The cultural program aims to promote camaraderie among PDL, encourage the development of self-confidence and sharing of cultural talents as form of positive entertainment. Cultural activities allowed in jails include dance, singing, theatre/drama, and art workshops. Also, through this program, PDL experience some sense of social normalcy through the communal celebrations of socio-cultural events like birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day, Christmas, Lent and Easter, Ramadan, local festivals and other similar activities. - **I. Paralegal Program**: The main objective of the Paralegal Program is to address the overcrowding in jail facilities. Through the paralegal program, PDL are assisted in availing of the different early modes of release. Regional and jail paralegal officers conduct continuous informative seminars/orientations to PDL on their rights, modes of early release, and other paralegal/legal remedies which can be availed of by them. Other paralegal services include paralegal counseling and case follow-up in the courts by the jail paralegal officers. - **J. E-Dalaw**: The E-DALAW service is an alternative to the traditional face-to-face visitation between PDL and respective families. This service enables the PDL to connect with his/her family through a supervised video call and chat. The program is conceptualized specifically to cater to PDL whose family members cannot go to the jail for actual visit because of the long distance to the jail from the residence or workplace of the family members. However, in case of jail lockdown by reason of public health emergency where visitation is suspended, all PDL are allowed to use the e-dalaw to communicate with their families on equitable rotation basis. ## Therapeutic Community - The Therapeutic Community (TC) is an environment that helps people get help while helping others. - It is a treatment environment: the interactions of its members are designed to be therapeutic within the context of the norms that require for each to play the dual role of clienttherapist. - At a given moment, one may be in a client role when receiving help or support from others because of a problem behavior or when experiencing distress. At another time, the same person assumes a therapist role when assisting or supporting another person in trouble. - **What is the TC mission?** To promote human and social transformation among our clients and among ourselves. - **What is the TC vision?** By the end of this decade, TC shall have become the corporate culture of the Parole and Probation Administration permeating its plans, programs, and practices, and confirming its status as a model component of the Philippine Correctional System. ## Development of BJMP Therapeutic Community Program - **1. The American Drug-Free Heirachical Concept-Based TC:** Concept based TC has the following principles: - **Community:** Living together in a group and showing responsible concern and belonging is the main agent for therapeutic change and social learning. - **Heirachy:** Daily activities take place in a structured setting. - **Confrontation:** Negative behaviors, which interferes with the community concepts values and philosophy is confronted and put into limit. - **Sel Help:** The resident is the protagonist of his own treatment process. Other group members can only act as facilitators. - **2. The British Democratic Maxwell Jones-Type TC:** Democratic TC has 4 central principles: - **Permissiveness:** Residents can freely express their thoughts and emotions without any negative repercussions. - **Democracy:** All residents and staff members have equal chance and opportunities to participate in the organization of TC. - **Communalism:** Face to face communication and free interaction to create a feeling of sharing and belonging. - **Reality Testing:** Residents can be, and should be, continually confronted with their own image as perceived by other clients and staff members. ## Therapeutic Community Modality Program (TCMP) - Is a self help social learning treatment model which utilizes the community as the primary therapeutic vehicle to foster behavioral and attitudinal change. - In this modality, the person learns and practices skills and responsibilities through structured activities that they can transfer to the society upon their release. - Each participant is expected to be a contributing member of the community and develops the impetus to change by being a member of the community. - At present, TCMP is recognized as the backbone program of the BJMP for inmate development and is being implemented in majority of the jails nationwide. ### Objectives: 1. To introduce and institutionalize TCMP as the backbone program of the BJMP for inmate development. 2. To provide the jail TCMP implementers with a manual that will serve as a guide in the proper implementation of the program. 3. To attain uniformity and standardization in the implementation of TCMP and ensure its fidelity to the core essence of the program. ### Cardinal Rules in TC: - *No sex or sexual acting out* - *No drugs/ Alcohol* - *No violence or threat of violence* - *No stealing* ### Phases of Treatment: - **Phase I- Entry/Orientation Phase:** Once an inmate is committed to jail, he undergoes a series of examination to determine his physical, social and psychological status. Upon his commitment, a resident is placed on orientation at the Reception and Diagnostic room/ Orientation Room. He is then assigned a static group and a big brother who will provide him with support and will walk him through the orientation phase. At this phase, the resident is handled gently and is expected to commit mistakes in the process of learning the program. Sanctions on negative behavior are usually light with emphasis on teaching. - **The Static Group:** Is a permanent group of peers and leaders that meet regularly while the residents are in treatment. It is a sort of “home” group who provides support for one another and to the new members of the community. - **Big Brother:** An older member of the community tasked to provide guidance to the newly committed residents. - **Phase II- Primary Treatment:** After proper orientation on the different TC concepts and tools, the norms and rules of the community and the staff members, the resident is now ready to undergo the treatment proper. He becomes a part of the community starting as a crew member of the Housekeeping department until he gradually ascends in the hierarchy. He must be knowledgeable on the following: - Proper use of the different tools to address personal issues and concerns and shape behavior - Managing own feelings and learning how to express self appropriately - Learning how to follow the rules and norms of the community - Maximize participation in activities that are appropriate to the resident’s need for growth - Learning how to trust the environment by disclosing self to the community and develop insight in the process - Developing positive coping skills to deal with difficult life situations - Enhancing educational and vocational skills to make him productive - Improve social skills and recognize the importance of other people’s help in shaping behavior - **Phase III- Pre Re-entry:** Under regular circumstances, the resident is expected at this stage to have internalized the TC values and concept to start life afresh. However, in the jail setting where entry and release are not within the jail control, residents may not have reached this phase of treatment before they even leave the jail facility. Regardless of the resident’s length of stay, he is expected to undergo this phase prior to release into society. At this phase, the resident is expected to have proven his ability to take on more responsibility hence needs lesser supervision. He is considered a role model in the TC community. - **Phase IV- Re-entry:** In the ideal setting, a resident at this stage is now ready to be released back to society as he has demonstrated adequate selfcontrol and discipline. The inmate is now preparing for his life outside of jail and is focused on making himself a productive citizen. He may start planning for job hunting and rebuilding family ties and relationships. The resident must focus on the following: - Transition to life outside of jail. - Creating a new lifestyle applying the tools and concept of TC. - Learning positive coping skills to deal with day to day situations. - Re-establishing and strengthening family ties and support group. - Reintegration into the mainstream of society. - Developing realistic and attainable goals in life. - **Phase IV- Aftercare:** Aftercare is an outpatient program that requires clients to report twice a week to an outreach center. They are required to attend group sessions to ensure their adjustment to life outside jail to reduce recidivism. For clients released from jail, they are referred to the Parole and Probation Administration and Local Government Units for follow up and aftercare. The clients are focused on the following: - Maintaining positive behavior and prevent recidivism. - Strengthening coping mechanism. - Maintaining relationships and support mechanism. - Sustaining interest in job or vocation to maintain livelihood. - Integration into society. ### The Therapeutic Community Modality Program and the Four Interconnected Development Aspects: - Behavior Management: - Emotional and Psychological: - Intellectual and Spiritual: - Vocational and Survival Skills: ## Behavior Management - The Behavior Management is a component of Therapeutic Community Modality Program (TCMP) that introduces the concept and mechanics of the various shaping tools to include Morning Meeting in order to facilitate the management of and shape the behavior of the residents. ### Tools: - Pre Morning Meeting - Morning Meeting - Talk To - Pull Up - Dealt With - Haircut - Learning Experience/ Bans - General Meeting - Expulsion #### Pre Morning Meeting - Duration/ Frequency: Fifteen minutes daily - Participants: Senior residents, Counselor - Pre-Morning Meeting is done early in the morning prior to the Morning Meeting. Senior members of the community will meet for about fifteen (15) minutes to discuss the attitude of the house the previous day. The attendees will also discuss the activities to be engaged in the Morning Meeting and make sure that all participants are ready with their corresponding parts and determine the amount of time to be allotted for each part. The group will agree on the theme or concept of the day. #### Theme/Concept of the Day - It refers to a word or saying that will serve as a guide for the community to ponder upon in relation to their day to day interactions and behaviors. #### Morning Meeting - Duration/ frequency: One hour daily - Participants: All residents, Counselor - Morning Meeting is a daily ritual that starts the day in a TC facility. It is attended by the whole community and lasts for an hour. It commences with the Opening Prayer, Singing of the Philippine National Anthem and the recitation of the TC Philosophy. It is divided into two (2) parts namely: - Public announcements and community concerns - Community-spirit building or up rituals #### Parts of the Morning Meeting - **I. Community Announcement/Concerns**: - Opening Prayer (Ecumenical) - Singing of the Philippine National Anthem (Flag must be displayed). - TC Philosophy (Adopted translation). - Announcements Staff (Director, Asst. Director, Counselor & other personnel) Residents (Coordinators,Dep’t Heads, Expediters) Report on Dorm Inspection by Chief Expediter e. Community Concerns Pull-ups/ elaboration Affirmations - Concept of the Day - Verse of the Day - **II. Up – Rituals**: - News casting (Local, Nat’l, International, Sports and Weather News) - Entertainment (Choose either Song, Dance, Skit, Humorous Story) - Community Singing (Any song that has relation to the Concept of the Day) - Greetings ## Hierarchy of Behavior Shaping Tools - Behavior Shaping Tools (BST) is employed to strengthen the learning process and the practice of more adaptive behaviors within the social learning environment. - The major tools of the BST, such as the Talk To, Pull–up, Dealt With, Haircut, Learning Experience, General Meeting and Expulsion were developed as a means to correct behaviors of the residents that violated the TC norms. **Figure 1. Hierarchy of Behavior Shaping Tools** - A diagram of a pyramid, pointing upwards with the title **INCREASE IN SEVERITY** on the left side and **DECREASE IN FREQUENCY** pointing downwards on the right side. - **Bottom-most tier:** Talk To. - **Next tier:** Pull Up - **Next tier:** Dealt With. - **Next tier:** Haircut. - **Next tier:** Learning Experience/Bans. - **Next tier:** General Meeting. - **Top-most tier:** Expulsion. - **Talk To:** A “Talk To” is an outright correction done by any member of the TC community to another member who has done a minor infraction but is not aware of it. It is a friendly reminder/advice about an unacceptable behavior and must be done privately. During a “Talk To”, the resident is made aware of his/her negative behavior and the results it may have on others and the environment. The feedback given to the resident who committed mistake is done in a positive way. This is to evoke awareness on the part of the violators to avoid committing the same mistake and be given heavier sanctions if done in the future. - **Pull Up:** A Pull-up is done as a result of lack, missed or lapses in awareness in a resident. All the members of the community are responsible to pull-up minor infractions done by peers. It encourages honesty, demeanor awareness and owning up to one’s mistakes. This is done when the violator is unknown and must be validated first prior to bringing up in the Morning Meeting. - **Dealt With:** Dealt With is done when negative behaviors or infractions to the House Rules/Norms are done for the second time of same offense by a resident. A panel of three (3) composed of a senior resident, peer and a friend are tasked to deliver a serious and stern reprimand to the subjected resident. Although the tool does not strictly require the presence of a staff, to attain its purpose, the staff should monitor its conduct to ensure that the panel assigned to the task really acted appropriately. It is done privately in a room or an area with no other else hearing the conversation. - **Haircut:** Haircut is done when negative behaviors or infractions to the House Rules/Norms in same offense are done for the third time or more or for first time grave offenses. The tone is more serious and can be loud, more harsh and exaggerated. This is done to induce anxiety and eventually change the person’s behavior. The haircut gives emphasis on the behavior of the resident and the severity of the haircut should be appropriate to the gravity of the offense. Each member of panel is given ample time to express himself without interruption from the other members. - **Learning Experience:** A Learning Experience (LE) is an action or activity given to a resident who was subjected to Haircut or General Meeting who did an infraction to correct or modify a behavior. Since TCMP is educational rather than punitive in its approach to behavioral change, the LE should be done in a way that would remind the person of the negative attitude he has done without compromising his human dignity. - **Categories of Learning Experiences:** - **a. Task-Oriented LE:** - Pots and Pans - Grounds and Landscaping - Cleaning and Maintenance - Time keeping (wake up calls, lights out calls) - **b. Written tasks:** - Composition or Essay - Reproduction of TCMP Materials - **c. Peer Interaction:** - Reading and reporting of topic - Announcements (Morning Meeting or House Meeting) - Bans #### Bans - Bans are sanctions to members who commit repeatedly infractions or violation to the Cardinal Rules by prohibiting, disallowing or limiting an activity or affiliation to a group. - **General Meeting:** A repeated breach to the Cardinal Rules necessitates a General Meeting. Such issue should be discussed with the community to point out to the violator the negative effect the behavior had on the Community. Such offense includes sexual acting-out with a fellow resident, taking drugs and engaging in physical fight with another resident. Other facilities include stealing or even smoking as part of the Cardinal Rules. These behaviors pose a threat to the community because they violate the established order and safety of the facility. - **Expulsion:** In extreme cases, when a resident is incorrigible and becomes a threat to the community (Instigator, initiator of jail disturbances), the Director with the recommendation of the Disciplinary Board may transfer him/her to the nearest jail facility with an appropriate Court Order. ## Psychological and Emotional Aspect - BJMP residents who are detained are basically psychologically and emotionally challenged. - They shareone thing in common, that is being incarcerated with uncertainties as to the outcome of their individual cases. - They feel isolated, helpless and at times hopeless brought about by separation from their loved ones and society in general and all other issues that confront them while incarcerated. - Such emotional turmoil needs to be addressed to help them bounce back and experience a life of normalcy despite their unique situation. ## Counseling - Counseling is defined as a professional activity of helping individuals, groups or communities enhance or restore their capacity for psychological, emotional and social functioning and creating an environment favorable for the attainment of these goals. ### Counseling Theories and Approaches - **1. Humanistic Approach**: It holds that people have within themselves all the resources they need to live healthy and functional lives, and that problems occur as a result of restricted or unavailable problem-solving resources. Humanistic therapists care most about the present and helping their clients achieve their highest potential. Instead of energy spent on the past or on negative behaviors, humanists believe in the goodness of all people and emphasize a person’s self-growth and selfactualization. - **2. Cognitive Approach:** This counseling theory focusesonhow people’s thinking can change feeling and behaviors. It holds that people experience psychological and emotional difficulties when their thinking in out of sync with reality. Cognitive counselors work to challenge their clients’ faulty thinking patterns so clients are able to derive solutions that accurately address the problems they are experiencing. - **3. Psychoanalytic Approach**: It is also known as the historical perspective and has its roots with Sigmund Freud, who believed there were unconscious forces that drive behavior. - **4. Constructionist Approach**: While actual events in the world can trigger people’s meaning-making processes, it is thosemeaning-making processes, rather than the events themselves, that determine how people think, feel and behave. ## Psychosocial Skills and Characteristics of Counseling: - **Empathy:** Is the ability to perceive the client’s feelings and to demonstrate accurate perception of the client. It is merely “putting oneself in the client’s shoes”. When the client feels understood, a sense of trust or “rapport” is developed. Rapport paves the way to a more meaningful communication and may enable the client to understand and accept more of his or her complexity of feelings. - **Warmth:** Is also called “unconditional positive regard”. It involves accepting and caring about the client as a person, regardless of any evaluation or prejudices on the client’s behavior or thoughts. It is most often conveyed through our non-verbal behavior or bodily gestures. - **Respect:** Is our belief in the client’s ability to make appropriate decisions and deal appropriately with his or her life situation, when given a safe and supportive environment in which to do so. It is often showed best by not offering advice or cheap comfort. The counselor shows his utmost respect to the client by listening in silence and giving him the opportunity to design his own solutions to the problem. A similar term for this is “empowerment” as the counselor likewise demonstrates that he values the integrity of the client. - **Congruence or genuineness**: Is being honest and authentic in dealing with the client. It is showing real concern rather than focusing on techniques during sessions. It is also being aware of the counselor’s own unmet needs and how it may affect his relationship with the client. - **Confidentiality**: Means that anything discussed during counseling sessions is held absolutely private and not to be discussed anywhere. This contract should be held sacred so as to maintain the client’s trust and enable him to disclose sensitive matters to the counselor without fear of any breach of confidentiality. ## Initial Interview/ Intake Interview - The intake interview in the jail setting is done by a Counselor to newly admitted residents. The main purpose is to elicit information about the resident and provide information about the program and what the expectations are on both parties. Full and honest disclosure is expected on the resident to elicit adequate and elaborate information and come up with the proper treatment plan. ## One to One Counseling/Individual Counseling - **Objectives**: - To promote individual explorations and help surface complicated and troubled feelings among the residents. - To provide a regular source of counseled guidance to residents. - To assist the residents to develop better coping skills and improve self-esteem. - To explore the different psychological tools which promote the development of insight and increase selfefficacy among the resident ## Group Counseling - **Static Group**: The Static Group is a permanent group of peers and leaders that meet regularly while the residents are in treatment. It is a sort of “home” group who provides support for one another and to the new members of the community. This is designed to provide a forum for self-expression and disclosure. It is usually facilitated by senior members of the group. It focuses on group relationship and patterns of behavior. - **Peer Confrontation Group:** The group participants in Peer Confrontation group are selected by the staff and group according to peers like adult members will go with the same date of entry in the facility and same goes with the middle and young members. It is done in a more compassionate way where each resident try to help one another. Participants confront each other on what they do for themselves while in the facility and ask how they are coping with it. - **Secrets:** Secrets are a group activity where participants are given the opportunity to unload emotional baggage and thus experience freedom from internal psychological conflicts. It promotes trust among the participants knowing that each will reveal his utmost secrets to the group. It also aims to deepen mutual respect among the participants. - **Encounter Groups**: The Encounter Group serves as a “safety valve” within the community whichis usually high pressured and structured. It is a forum for members of the community to verbally express pent-up or negative emotions within a structured and safe environment without resorting to violence or aggression and without fear of reprisal. - **The Flow of the Encounter Should Pass Through the Four (4) Phases:** - **Confrontation:** This phase involves verbalization of concerns or honest disclosure of emotions that has been provoked during interpersonal interactions with another resident. The focus should always be about how one feels because of the behavior of the other. - **Exploration:** In this phase, all the feelings that were expressed are further examined and explored and find out how it could have resulted in such way in order to evoke awareness on the connection of behavior, feelings and attitude. In this phase, blaming or finger pointing at one party is avoided. It will only cause resentment form one party. - **Resolution and Commitment:** After some realizations and attaining some insights into their behaviors, the residents are now ready to move to the last phase to practice new behaviors. From the feedbacks received, the resident involved will now express how he feels about the whole thing and may own up his behavior which has caused the conflict. He then goes on to make commitments to avoid such occurrence in the future. Such commitment made by the residents will be monitored to make sure that they are being put to practice to avoid lapses. - **Socialization:** This is a structured social event where all those involved in an encounter will have ample time to mend fences with those they have offended or hurt in the past. The purpose is to achieve closure, reaffirm relationship and maintain the unity of the community so that all those involved can move on and leave the past behind. - **Extended Group:** The Extended Groups (Probe, Marathon) are usually composed of 5- 12 residents and is being facilitated by 2 highly trained staff members. It may last for 8-72 hours. The participants must have at least 4 months in the program and have shown adequate stability before he can be included in the activity. It is a potentially intimate and intense session which needs a significant amount of preparation. It focuses on the “here and now” but allows a deeper exploration of issues that affects new behavior. Special subjects may be the focus such as sexuality, trauma, etc. ## Specialized Groups - Women’s Group - Men’s Group - Anger Management - Loss and Bereavement - Medication Support Group ### Loss and Bereavement - Duration/frequency: one hour once a week - Participants: 10 – 15 residents - **Procedure:** - Facilitator is knowledgeable in conducting the sessions and managing the time. - The group is very supportive and compassionate. - Facilitator discusses the process of grieving and the impact of losses, mad feeling, attitudes and behavior derived from the loss of a loved one. - Counselor gives some suggestions on how they would handle the situation appropriately when there was another similar situation. - At the last sessions, each participant was required to write a letter to someone or a buddy to tell about the past and what they will do in the future regarding losses. ### Women’s Group - Duration/ frequency: one hour once a week/ might last for six sessions - Participants: 8-15 residents, Counselor - **Procedure:** - Held once a week and run by TC personnel. It provides an opportunity for all female residents to share and discuss their feelings on women’s issues: family, relationship, self-identity, self-image, societal role and reproductive issues. - Issues to be tackled are gender specific problems and aims to help female residents identify their challenges and needs. - Residents are helped to explore and understand the relationship between women’s issues and their influences on them. It enhances selfunderstanding among women. - They can also help each other through mutual support and concern. ### Men’s Group - Duration/ frequency: 1 hour once a week - Participants: 8-15 residents, counselor - **Procedure:** - Topics include expression of feeling, reveal of true self, dealing with feeling and how to avoid abusive relationship, family conflicts, sexuality and sexual relationships. - Group sessions enabled each of them to identify, express the feeling related to the trauma and lessons learned from those experiences. - The counselor who raised the issue will be the one to conduct it. ### Medication Support Group - Duration/ frequency: as long as the residents are on medication - Participants: Residents on medications and Jail health personnel - **Procedure:** - Counselor holds the group once a week who are on medical and psychiatric medication. - Group members are educated on different kinds of medical and psychiatric problems and its effects. - Sharing on the intake of medicines and its side effects of taking it. - Cohesiveness is enhanced. - Share and discuss how to face their difficulties, coping with the disease and problems encountered while they are on medications. ### Anger Management - Duration/ frequency: 1 ½ hour for 6 weeks/as needed/curriculumbased - Participants: 10-15 residents - **Procedure:** - Facilitated by a counselor. - Questionnaires are provided to the residents to answer how they demonstrated their anger before they came for treatment and while in the facility and how they go through it. - Participants are selected based on interview and attitude showed while in treatment. - The group is an avenue for the residents to know their anger feelings and acquire new knowledge and information on how to deal with their feelings on different situation and personalities. ## Intellectual and Spiritual Components - The Intellectual and Spiritual Component hopes to enhance the spiritual and intellectual dimensions of the residents by providing opportunities for them to develop selfworth and productivity ### Spirituality in TC - Spirituality is any action or activity that reflects or brings out the goodness in a man. - Spirituality in TCMP is designed to respond to the inner longing of residents to find greater faith where they can anchor themselves within their struggle to find meaning to their Existence. - It summarizes a man’s relationship with himself, others and the Supreme Being. The spiritual component provides the residents with activities that would help them explore the meaning and purpose of their existence and their particular place in the world. ### Intellectual Component - The intellectual component on the other hand responds to the natural human characteristics of yearning for knowledge in order to attain a higher level of understanding. - Providing worthwhile opportunities for learning/ education will facilitate regaining their human quality and self-respect thereby making self-realization - that being lawabiding and productive, both during their stay in the facility and their eventual release in the society’s mainstream is the real essence and measure of development. ### Spiritual Component - *TC Philosophy* - *TC Unwritten Philosophies* - *Theme/Concept of the Day* - *Meditation* - *Religious Activities* #### The TC Philosophy - The TC Philosophy is recited daily during the Morning Meeting. It embodies all the challenges and aspirations of most residents who feel alienated and the desire to overcome the imposed limitations on their freedom and find their own place where they could feel safe and welcome. - It acknowledges the importance of fellowship in shaping one’s behavior and motivating one’s fortitude of helping himself and others. - **1. Surrender:** “I am here because there is no refuge, finally from myself” - **2. Self-disclosure:** “Until I confront myself in the eyes and hearts of others, I am running. Until I suffer them to share my secrets, I have no safety from them. Afraid to be known, I can neither know myself or any other; I will be alone.” - **3. Reflection:** “Where else