ILIGAN CITY — The Iligan City Jail–Male Dormitory is shifting away from a punitive incarceration model and adopting a reformative care approach that places rehabilitation, discipline, and personal development at the center of jail management.

The transition is being implemented through the Therapeutic Community Modality Program (TCMP), the flagship rehabilitation initiative of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), which has been intensified this year by the jail’s Welfare and Development Unit.

Under the program, persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) participate in structured daily routines that include peer-led discussions, reorientation sessions, values formation, and skills-building activities, replacing prolonged idleness with purposeful engagement.

“TCMP has been the main rehabilitation tool of the BJMP,” said City Jail Warden JCIINSP Carmelo A. Corsame. 

“Its existence signals the shift toward a penology that is reformative, rehabilitative, and developmental, moving away from traditional punitive concepts.”

REBUILDING LIVES: PDLs participate in a seminar titled “Beyond Theory: The Hands-On Process of the Therapeutic Community Implementation” at the Iligan City Jail. Under the leadership of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), these educational sessions provide inmates with the moral and social tools necessary to successfully reintegrate into society as responsible citizens. Photo courtesy of Iligan City Jail-Male Dormitory

Corsame said the facility has expanded PDL reorientation programs, specialized seminars, and daily morning assemblies aimed at strengthening accountability and self-discipline. 

Livelihood activities and moral recovery sessions have also been integrated into the jail’s regular operations.

The impact of the program is evident in the dormitory atmosphere, where PDLs are encouraged to support one another under the TCMP principle of “man helping man,” fostering peer accountability and positive behavioral change.

For inmates like Junjun, a PDL enrolled in the program, the shift has transformed daily life inside the facility. Instead of merely serving time, participants are guided toward personal reflection and preparation for eventual reintegration into society.

BJMP officials said the reformative approach reflects a broader effort to balance public safety with rehabilitation, emphasizing that correctional facilities play a critical role in reducing repeat offenses and restoring human dignity.

As the Therapeutic Community Modality Program continues to take root in Iligan City, jail officials expressed hope that the initiative will help former inmates return to their communities as more responsible and productive citizens.