Capability of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Approaches on Covid-19 Towards Policy Framework for Prevention and Control of Transmission
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajsl.v5i2.8569Keywords:
COVID-19 Prevention Control, Capability Level, Correctional, Jail Personnel, Policy FrameworkAbstract
The study assessed the capability of the Las Piñas City Jail Male Dormitory in implementing COVID-19 prevention and control measures and developed a policy framework to strengthen institutional preparedness and response. Specifically, it examined the profile of implementing personnel (job assignment and level of knowledge of COVID-19 prevention and control), the capability level of prevention and control approaches as expected and as practiced, the moderating effect of job assignment on prevention and control indicators, and the overall extent of capability attained. A descriptive-correlational design was employed using a total-enumeration census of 64 Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) personnel assigned to the Las Piñas City Jail Male Dormitory, consisting of 50 personnel on lockdown and 14 response team members. A researcher-developed Response Capability Questionnaire covering three prevention sub-areas and five control sub-areas was used, with content validity established through a three-member expert panel and reliability confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha on a pilot sample of five non-sample respondents. Paired-samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA were used for data analysis. Overall, COVID-19 prevention and control approaches were rated at a very high extent, both as expected and as practiced. However, statistically significant differences were found across most individual prevention and control indicators, indicating specific gaps between policy expectations and actual implementation. Job assignment did not significantly moderate most prevention and control indicators, except for the utilization of the “Ligtas” COVID-19 center. Despite these implementation gaps, the findings demonstrate a strong overall institutional capability in responding to COVID-19. A Policy Framework for the Prevention and Control of Transmission is proposed to sustain existing strengths, address identified implementation gaps, and enhance the preparedness and response capacity of BJMP facilities during future public health emergencies.
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