REBUILDING LIVES: PATHWAYS TO ECONOMIC INCLUSION AND EQUALITY FOR

INCARCERATED FATHERS POST-RELEASE

A Concept Paper Presented to the Faculty of College of Criminal Justice Education

University of Negros Occidental – Recoletos

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Science in Criminology

Justine Alulod
Rafael Delicano
Alleah Isidro
Joseph Leonidas
Xaviery Perez
Adrianne Verdeflor

December 2025
Background of the Study

Mass incarceration has had a profound effect on families, especially on fathers who are

incarcerated. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, nearly half of incarcerated

individuals are parents, with a significant number being fathers to minor children (Glaze &

Maruschak, 2010). These fathers face significant challenges when it comes to maintaining

family relationships and economic stability while incarcerated, as well as reintegrating into

society post-release. The rate of recidivism among formerly incarcerated individuals remains

high, with many failing to successfully reenter the workforce and reunite with their families

(Visher, LaVigne, & Travis, 2004).

Upon release, formerly incarcerated fathers often encounter numerous barriers to

successful reintegration. These include widespread discrimination from employers, restrictions

on housing, and legal limitations on accessing public benefits or employment opportunities due

to criminal records (Pager, 2003). These barriers are particularly detrimental to fathers, who

may struggle to provide financially for their children, exacerbating poverty and undermining

their relationships with family members (Travis, 2005). Economic exclusion further contributes

to high recidivism rates, as individuals without stable income or housing are more likely to re-

offend (Western & Pettit, 2010).

Economic inclusion is a critical component for reducing recidivism and supporting the

successful reintegration of formerly incarcerated fathers into society. Access to stable

employment, educational opportunities, and social services has been shown to increase the

likelihood of successful reentry and reduce the chances of returning to prison (Visher, 2006).
However, many formerly incarcerated individuals, particularly fathers, face persistent

challenges in accessing these opportunities due to systemic barriers (Holzer, 2007).

This study seeks to explore the pathways to economic inclusion and equality for

incarcerated fathers post-release, examining the roles of employment programs, educational

initiatives, and supportive social services in facilitating their reintegration. By identifying

strategies that promote access to economic opportunities, the research aims to inform policies

and practices that can support incarcerated fathers in rebuilding their lives, reconnecting with

their families, and contributing to society in meaningful ways.

Statement of the Problem

This study attempts to determine the Rebuilding Lives Pathways to Economic Inclusion

and Equality for Incarcerated Fathers Post-Release in Negros Occidental. Specifically, it seeks

to answer the following questions:

1. What challenges do incarcerated fathers face when trying to find stable

employment or reconnect with their families after release?

2. How do formerly incarcerated fathers describe their experiences with financial

instability and the lack of resources to support their children?

3. How do incarcerated fathers feel about their ability to provide for their children

after release, and how do they perceive their roles as fathers in the

reintegration process?

4. How do incarcerated fathers describe the impact of these programs on their

relationships with their children and their ability to financially support their

families?
Significance of the Study

The findings of the study may become the basis for designing a long-range development plan

for the enhancement of services being offered in the local jails in the Province of Antique.

Likewise, the findings may guide future researchers to conduct similar studies which will

explore other variables not covered by the study or replicate the study to a larger sample in

different contexts to validate or refute the findings of the study.

The research will assess the community-based-oriented policing and diversity among police

departments in Negros Occidental. It is hoped that community-based- oriented policing and

diversity among police departments will continue its reforms within the organization. Further,

the study finds significance in developing an assessment of the implementation of community

policing that would serve as a source of information in maintaining peace and order to uphold

sustainable development. Likewise, it is considered beneficial to the following stakeholders:

Negros Occidental municipal stations, Philippine National Police, PNP top officials,

policymakers, LGUs and other agencies, the community, and future researchers.

Literature Review

Effective community-oriented policing and crime prevention are the products of a relationship

between the neighborhood and law enforcement authorities. A significant part of this

relationship is the people's view of the police — their professionalism, fairness, and genuine

involvement in helping, supporting, and collaborating with the people. When neighborhood

members have good views of and confidence in their local police, they are more likely to turn

to and cooperate with the police to deter and address crimes (Buchner et al., 2008).
In addition, Maita and Martinez (2019) found that the personnel in service delivery as viewed

by detainees in Tuao, Cagayan, have demonstrated that the BJMP provides programs on

basic needs, well-being, livelihoods, schooling, sports, and leisure services that are "fairly

efficient" as opposed to the impression of the BJMP workforce that is "very efficient." The

common issue found by the detainees was the shortage of basic sports facilities. Based on the

results of the report, the BJMP prison facilities were not sufficiently supported, given the

modest satisfaction of the detainees. While the execution of prison services was compatible

with the BJMP Manual, there were limitations and lapses in the application of prison services.

Moreover, "moderately satisfied" was the result of the study by Maita and Gutierrez (2019) on

the service delivery of the BJMP. The common concern found by the prisoners was the

shortage of basic sports facilities. Based on the results of the report, the BJMP prison facilities

were not sufficiently offered, given the modest satisfaction of the detainees.

In a study conducted by Gutierrez (2001), determinable physical infrastructure and lack of

other facilities are sources of multiple prison issues such as dining rooms, recreation
areas, churches, classrooms, or opportunities for prisoners to enjoy solitude other than being

lonely in their cells.

Meanwhile, Prost et al. (2020) revealed that in most cultural settings, all imprisoned people

experience an elevated risk of COVID-19 contamination than individuals since psychological

distancing in jail settings is nearly impossible. Many US prisons operate at or above population

capacity (World Prison Summary, 2020), rendering them, unfortunately, perfect congregational

settings for the accelerated dissemination of the current coronavirus. People sleep, shower,

bathe, feed, and work in very close quarters in these conditions, speeding the spread of

infectious diseases (Maruschak et al., 2009). To date, nine of the 10 "hotspots" are in prisons

or jails in the United States (New York Times, 2020), and almost 50,000 illnesses have been

registered in state prisons and jails.

Most experimental drug research trials were performed in the jails and prisons of America

through the mid-1970s. Because of the extensive abuses of human rights recognized at that

time, legislation was passed that effectively halted correction-based study. The Code of

Federal Regulations lays out the limits on correctional population study that are presently in

effect. Both these principles guided the ethical practice of study and created a major concern

in today's prisons' correctional climate. Under terms of detention, there is less known about

people's well-being and healthcare concerns than anyone outside society (Cislo & Trestman,

2013).

According to Akiyama et al. (2020), highly transmissible novel respiratory pathogens pose a

new challenge for incarcerated populations because of the ease with which they spread in

congregate settings. Perhaps most relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2009 H1N1
influenza pandemic exposed the failure to include jails in planning efforts. By the spring of

2010, the vaccine was plentiful, yet most small jails never received the vaccine, despite the

presence of high-risk persons, such as pregnant women, and the increased risk of

transmission among unvaccinated persons who spent time detained near one another.

Community policing reduces crime and disorder by carefully examining the characteristics of

problems in neighborhoods and applying appropriate remedies. The "community" for which a

patrol officer is given responsibility should be a small, well- defined geographical area. Beats

should be configured to preserve the unique geographical and social characteristics of

neighborhoods while still allowing efficient service. Community policing involves communal

identification of their security needs, which makes the police take up the matter seriously even

if the problems they define differ from police priorities (Wycoff, 2008).

In specific communities, the role of police officers is very significant. It is because societies rely

on police forces in which police are required to "protect and serve" the community citizens as a

matter of policy. On the other hand, the police often rely on assistance and cooperation from

the community. The problem is that the police and society's connection is not always

harmonious, thus raising the crime rate. This is because people do not have faith that the

police are fair and impartial, and the police feel threatened by the citizens. The key elements

for policing identified previously are not new. The most recent version of neighborhood law

enforcement is part of a much more extensive history of community-based policing programs

established in various countries for over three decades (Lloyd et al., 2009).
The community-oriented policing strategy uses the fundamental concept that the police are the

public, and the public are the police (Principle # 7, Sir Robert Peel, the Father of the British

Police System). It is a law enforcement principle that allows any member of the society to

practice self-policing, restrain other members from doing actions that can injure each other,

and require other members to participate in orderly contact. Requiring group members to obey

such orderly interactions means specific adherence to a set of laws or shared values and goals

of the group (Philippine National Police, 2012).

During the hiring process, there are chances that the involved law agency will rely on

examinations that are not sufficiently designed. This results in the inclusion of unqualified

candidates and some qualified candidates from the underrepresented groups can be locked

out of the hiring process. There are also times when additional selection criteria are used.

Some of the processes do not have a predictable impact on how underrepresented individuals

can be included in the hired team. This means that the efforts by the hiring agency to

accommodate diverse candidates are limited. Also, the application process can be ambiguous,

lengthy, or costly, and this can keep off the targeted candidates. Lastly, sometimes the law

enforcement unit can have little control over the selection hiring process (Ivković et al., 2019).

Research has shown that the community can be freer to open up to law enforcement officials

they know well. These can be persons who share ethnic, religious, family, racial, and social

backgrounds. When a diverse police force has been created, the trust between the community

and the police also builds. This is mainly because it is felt that the law enforcement system

recognizes and accommodates the community (Silvestri, 2019).

Salmi et al. (2004) presented a model for police visibility and people's fear of crime. A four ‐

factor model including two visibility factors (patrol‐car‐related activities and police‐on‐foot

activities) and two fear of crime factors (crimes against property and crimes against persons)

was constructed by structural equation modeling. Respondents who perceived the police more

often in on‐foot activities were less fearful of crimes against property. Results showed that any

simple act by the police, such as stepping out of the car every now and then, i.e., not only in

crime‐related situations, has a positive impact on the fear of crime as expressed by the public.

According to the article "Cebu City cops to undergo well-being intervention program," cited by

Saavedra (2021), the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) will conduct welfare intervention to

cushion the impact of quarantine duties on its personnel's emotional and mental health.

Parilla's remarks came after a rookie cop assigned to an inter-village control point to enforce

the Oplan Puyo (operation plan stay at home) of acting Mayor Michael Rama committed

suicide early Friday. The identity of the police officer was withheld pending notification of his

family in Zamboangita, Negros Oriental. Parilla said the police officer was preparing to go back

to his battalion unit to get the firearms to be issued to the newly hired batch of police officers.

The cop, he said, was undergoing specialization training, as mandated by the PNP, after

finishing the six-month basic recruit course and another six months in the field training

program. Some of these cops were assigned to man border control checkpoints, while others

were tasked to randomly inspect public utility vehicles to ensure compliance with health

protocols and the loading capacity per trip. Parilla said most of the new police recruits from

outside Cebu who came to augment the forces on quarantine duties have not gone home

since their deployment to the city.

Methodology

Research design

The researchers will employ the quantitative-descriptive method in this investigation. This

approach explains the features of a population or phenomenon under investigation. While it

solves the "what" issue, it also provides answers to inquiries about how, when, and why the

traits occurred. The sort of study question, design, and data analysis used on a particular issue

is known as descriptive research. Developing, assessing, and testing research instruments

and methodologies is the goal of integrating descriptive and quantitative methods. It employs a

survey approach and investigates phenomena in real-world contexts. Questionnaires,

interviews, and observation are common ways to collect data. Because it may produce more

accurate results, the quantitative-descriptive method will be employed. This study would use

the descriptive method and be grounded in surveys, facts, and evidence.

Respondents

The five people who were chosen to participate in this study are the responders. In

order to help the respondents comprehend and reply to the questions, the researchers will

personally meet with them to go over the questionnaire's contents. The respondents will be

chosen from Negros Occidental using purposive sampling. Producing a sample that may be

reasonably presumed to be representative of the population is the primary goal of a purposive

sample. The study's subjects will only be from Negros Occidental.

Research instrument.researcher was used in this investigation to collect the data required for

the study. There are four sections to the questionnaire. The respondents' demographic

information is included in Part I. Statements eliciting respondents' opinions regarding the

efficacy of Negros Occidental BJMP departments engaged in community policing, jail officer

visibility, police intervention, and community-based programs are included in Part II.Statements

eliciting the respondents' opinions regarding the degree of diversity in police departments with

regard to discrimination and job satisfaction are included in Part III. Lastly, statements

highlighting the challenges police departments have in providing essential services in Negros

Occidental towns are included in Part IV. Respondents will be asked to use the Likert scale to

indicate their answers by checking the column that corresponds to their selections.

Data gathering procedure.

One-on-one interviews will be conducted with incarcerated fathers to gain in-depth

insights into their post-release experiences. Interviews will cover topics such as: Initial

challenges faced after release (housing, employment, stigma, family dynamics). Experiences

with economic reintegration programs, job training, or vocational education. Social and legal

barriers to financial inclusion and equality.Support networks, including family, community

organizations, and mentorship. Aspirations for achieving long-term economic stability and

social equality. These discussions will include small groups of incarcerated fathers or family

members. The purpose is to explore common experiences, shared concerns, and ideas for

improving economic inclusion and equality. A select number of participants will be asked to

share detailed personal stories to better illustrate the impact of their post-release journey.

Researchers will observe participants in natural settings (e.g., community support groups, job

training programs) to capture unspoken dynamics that may inform the data.
Data analysis procedure.

The data will be analyzed using thematic analysis, where recurring patterns, themes, and

categories related to economic inclusion, equality, and the post-release reintegration process

will be identified. Initial codes will be developed to organize and categorize the data, followed

by pattern recognition to derive higher-level themes. Data from interviews, focus groups, case

studies, and observational notes will be compared to ensure validity and reliability.

Triangulation of multiple sources will provide a richer understanding of the research question.

Ethical consideration

Participants will be fully informed about the purpose of the research, the voluntary

nature of participation, and their right to withdraw at any time without consequence. All

interviews, recordings, and personal data will be kept confidential. Pseudonyms will be used to

protect participants' identities. Given the potentially traumatic nature of participants'

experiences, the research team will be trained to handle sensitive topics with care, offering

referrals to counseling services if needed. Ethical approval will be sought from the institutional

review board (IRB) or relevant ethical committees.

REFERENCES

Glaze, L. E., & Maruschak, L. M. (2010). Parents in Prison and Their Minor Children.

Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Holzer, H. J. (2007). Collateral Costs: Incarceration's Effect on Economic Mobility. The

Urban Institute.

Pager, D. (2003). The Mark of a Criminal Record. American Journal of Sociology,

108(5), 937-975.

Travis, J. (2005). But They All Come Back: Rethinking Prisoner Reentry. The Urban

Institute Press.

Visher, C. A. (2006). Returning Home: Understanding the Challenges of Prisoner

Reentry. Crime and Justice, 34(1), 1-57.

Visher, C. A., LaVigne, N. G., & Travis, J. (2004). Ex-Offender Employment Programs: A

Summary of the Literature. Urban Institute.

Western, B., & Pettit, B. (2010). Incarceration and Social Inequality. Daedalus, 139(3), 8

Charles, P., Muentner, L., Grade, G., & Eddy, J. M. (2023). Assessment of feasibility and

acceptability of the Pathways for Parents After Incarceration program. Family & Community

Health, 46(S1), S52–S65. https://doi.org/10.1097/fch.00000000000003

TIMETABLE OF THE STUDY

Objectives Activities Time Frame

To present research title and Prepare the manuscript; apply for the

concept for approval title and concept defense

February 15,

2025

To present the research proposal Prepare the manuscript; apply for the

for review and approval oral defense

March 28, 2025

To present the edited research Prepare and submit the edited

manuscript for initial compliance manuscript.

April 28, 2025

To present the final edited Prepare the manuscript; submit for

research manuscript for review the final compliance from the

May 17, 2025
and approval. suggestion of the panel members.

To collect the data Administration of the

survey questionnaire to
June 2025
respondents

To encode, process, analyze, Encoding and statistical

and interpret the collected data treatment analysis and

July 2024
interpretation of the data.
Final Defense Present the findings of the study August 31, 2025

Revision of the Paper Present the final thesis October 2025

manuscript

Submission of the Final Book Revision and Submission of the Final September 2024

Book

Quality Assurance Revision and Submission of the Final November 2025

Executive Summary to RDO

Research Colloquium Preparation of Poster or Oral December 2025

Presentation