BALANGA CITY, Bataan – Jail inmates are now called “Persons deprived of liberty” or PDL based on United Nations protocol.
“Inmates truly must now be called ‘Persons deprived of liberty’. The words inmates, prisoners, and convicts have negative connotations”, said Bataan District Jail Warden Jail Superintendent Andrew Tauli.
PDL is a dignified term for inmates. The term also stresses the point that jails are supposed to employ a restorative form of justice and be rehabilitative in nature”, he added.
“The term also connotes that the BJMP looks at every inmate as a person capable of renewing and growing as a responsible citizen even while serving his prison term, or awaiting verdict”, he added.
Earlier, Tauli said PDLs at Bataan District Jail are engaging in Therapeutic Community Modality activities to keep their day worthwhile.
“The PDLs here are not idle because they are doing various activities”, he said.
The use of the term PDL instead of inmates is in accordance to the United Nations standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners known also as Mandela rules.
