1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Over the years, it was a common knowledge that most of the inmates behind bars are

male individuals. Yet, the rate of women inmates are increasing as well. As of 2016, there were a

total of 142, 168 prison population in the Philippines and 12, 658 (8.9%) of them were women

(World Prison Studies.org). In Region 10, there were a total of 6, 603 prison population Commented [1]: Reference :
World Prison Studies (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.prisonstudies.org/country/philippines
according to Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) as of May 2018. This rapid
Commented [2]: Reference :
http://www.bjmp.gov.ph/datstat.html
increase of population in women inmates has been said to be one of the outcomes of this current

administration’s implementation on “War on Drugs.” Many cases of women inmates are due to

their affiliation or relationship to their partners who were involved in drugs. With this reason,

they are charged with cases leading them to be incarcerated (Zarya, 2015).

Despite being released into the community, the battle of surviving among former women

inmates does not end inside the prison; it even gets more difficult when inmates are finally out of

the prison. Their identity as a former inmate continuously affects them not only emotionally and

psychologically, but also affects their social and economic life particularly to job opportunities.

An extensive body of research has established that a conviction or time in prison makes

individuals significantly less employable. It is not simply that individuals who commit crimes are

less likely to work in the first place, but rather, convictions or time in prison act independently to

lower the employment prospects of ex-offenders (Center for Economic and Policy Research). Commented [3]: Reference
Schmitt, John and Warner, Kristin. "Ex-offenders ad the
Labor Market ." Center for Economic and Policy
Moreover, Superintendent Von Tesoro, the chief prison officer of the Davao Prison and Research. (Nov. 2010).
https://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/ex-
offenders-2010-11.pdf. Last visited Novemebr 28, 2018
Penal Farm believes that imprisonment is not a responsive and effective penalty for female
 2

offenders. After having years of experience in running prison facilities, he believes that a

female’s absence in the Filipino home could only create havoc on the family and jeopardize the

future of the children (Tesoro, 2011). In addition, most of the inmates were mothers prior to

imprisonment and the sense of losing their role as a mother has been found out to have a

significant impact to women inmates resulting to identity confusion and lowered self-esteem. Commented [4]: pwede after ani Nik, kay I-introduce
na effects sa imprisonment sa self-esteem?

Kamoyo (2018) also mentioned that being in prison will really have an impact to an

individual’s self-esteem and this will continue to have an impact on the current situation they are

in because imprisonment serves as a constant reminder to their perceived social status. Most of

the inmates would see themselves negatively because of the society’s labeling and stigma. These

perceptions that have been subjected to the inmates have made them think lowly of themselves

and carry this perception even after imprisonment.

This led the researchers to the questions: “What happens to the lives of former women

inmates after being released from the prison?”, “How are their self-esteem while inside the

prison and how are their self-esteem after they are released?”. Self-esteem is one of the most

affected aspects of former inmates from their prison experiences. Most inmates, if not all, are

deprived from their basic rights and have experienced unjust condition and treatment while

inside the prison. It is a critical aspect that would deteriorate given the unfair situation the former

women inmates were going through, that in some cases would badly affect one’s evaluation of

self and the motivation to fulfill its fullest potential as an individual. Experiencing all of these

usually results to a diminished level of how they see and evaluate themselves. On extreme cases,

some inmates would just accept their situation and would think that they deserve such

degradation; this degraded sense of self will be adapted and carried with them even upon release

from the prison.

 3

Boduszek et. al (2016) defined self-esteem as an evaluation of an individual to

themselves to the extent of how they see their self as capable and worthy. Abraham Maslow as

well defined self-esteem as a need and an individual’s own feelings of worthiness. Also, self-

esteem is considered as a predictor for behavioral and psychological outcomes of an inmate since

self-esteem not only affects how one sees their self, but to the extent of how they see and relate

to others as well. In addition, self-esteem is considered to be a resilience factor that is important

as a psychological resource of adaptation which is significant to the lives of former inmates who

will adapt from imprisonment to being released (Chui & Diehl, 2018). Thereby, the researchers

took interest on self-esteem because it is a psychological concept that is until now one of the

most studied topics for researches, not only in the field of Psychology but in other fields as well.

The researchers specifically focused only on former women inmates because gender is an

important factor which influences growth and self-esteem (Amuche & Mayange, 2013).

Additionally, the researchers chose former women inmates rather than men inmates because

there are insights of women that are different from men given that their experiences inside the

prison are also varied.

Even though a lot of studies already had conclusions on gender stereotypes even on the

aspect of self-esteem, yet it is still hard to find studies that had specifically focused on former

women inmates’ self-esteem. Moreover, recent studies about the self-esteem of women inmates

are also limited since most researches are only intended for male inmates because their

population is larger than female inmates. Given this scarcity of information, this motivates the

researchers to explore and delve into the experiences of the former women inmates especially

coming from the local community and to contribute to the growing knowledge of psychology.
 4

Furthermore, this study aims to understand and explore the prison and personal self-

esteem of the former women inmates who have been released three years ago. Most importantly,

studying self-esteem is continually being relevant until today because this affects the cognitive

and motivational aspects of an individual (Johnson, n.d). Understanding the context of this

psychological concept will not only help the researchers but also the community as well to

become more open and sensitive to the concerns of these former women inmates.

Review of Related Literature

The following section presents the related literature, readings, and related studies which

are relevant to the study. Topics are divided into Prisons, Former women inmates, and Self-

Esteem.

Prisons. Prisons are built to rehabilitate, correct, cure criminals of crime (Bruce, 2017)

and treat criminals to become useful citizens (Adu, 2007). However, prisons are uncomfortable

and is considered as a stressful environment (Bukstel & Kilman, 1980; DeRosia, 1998; Johnson

& Toch, 1982a; Kuipers, 1996; Liebling, 1999 as cited in Greve, W., & Enzmann, D., 2003). A

report given by Mika’il Deveaux on the trauma of imprisonment experiences, that is backed up

by research and reviewed by Harvard Civil Rights – Civil Liberties Law, states that prison

culture does more harm than good. Prison culture breeds violence, it includes harm on the

psychological well-being of inmates. Country’s prison where criminalities are expected to end

have become revolving doors that many of the residents and prisoners, returned time and again

(Adu, 2017).

An international treaty from UN named the Optional Protocol to the United Nations

Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
 5

(OPCAT) visited some prison facilities in the country and one of the overarching concerns they

have found is the extreme overcrowding. Prison facilities in Metro Manila and even in provincial

jails have capacities that are limited to accommodate all of the inmates. This congestion of place

does not only breed inhumane treatment to inmates but as well affects their health while inside

the prison facility. Moreover, these overcrowded and underfunded prison facilities are not only a

burden to the inmates but to the prison managers as well which is becoming one of the

problematic concerns of a prison facility (Jones, 2014).

Former Women Inmates. It has been recognized how important women’s role are in

the society. Women play a substantial role in economic and national development in many

countries by performing their social and economic activities. They made great contributions as

mothers which is their domestic role in molding future generations (Ibrahim, et al., 2013).

Another study by Amanda (2008) stated that typically women serve as the primary care of their

children, and it is reported that at least one third of mothers are single parents before they were

imprisoned, which may disrupt the family unit. The sense of losing their role as a mother has

been found out to have a significant impact to women inmates resulting to loss of identity and

low level of self-esteem (Corston report as cited by Amanda, 2008). According to Bloom et al.,

(2003), that low self-esteem is frequently the outcome of abuse, mental illness, and other

different factors that are significant to female inmates.

Although women inmates only constitute a small percentage compared with the number

of men in prison. However, their numbers have dramatically risen over the last few decades

(Greene & Pranis, 2006; Jeffries, 2014; McIvor, 2010; Newbold, 2007 as cited by Jeffries &

Newbold, 2016). A report published in Philippine Daily Inquirer by Ramos (2017), mentioned

that because of the current war on drugs implemented by the President of the country, the
 6

number of inmates are doubled. Around 67 percent of inmates are in custody due to drug related

cases and 13 percent of that percentage comprises the number of women inmates which is

roughly 10, 291 inmates all over the nation.

Despite the overcrowding issue and the increasing number of population in the prison

facilities in the country, there is a women-friendly facility in Davao City named the Ray of Hope

Village and it offers bungalow type of shelters instead of prison cells. Adoracion Avisado, which

is a former judge and is now an executive director of Transformative Justice Institute, who is

involved in the implementation of the prison facility, exclaimed that women inmates cannot be

rehabilitated the same way the men inmates are treated because women have different needs

compare to them.

Another study by Barlow (2014), stated that men and women inmates are different when

it comes to their needs in prison. Women inmates are unlikely to receive any psychological

services and rehabilitation that are relevant to them because the population of male inmates are

larger than female inmates. Programs that try to integrate gender-specific needs are less funded

because the traditional gender-neutral model is more preferred. Voohris (2010) added that

without integrating gender-specific needs, women inmates tend to be over-classified and the

most significant risk considerations and needs that are appropriate to them are neglected.

Furthermore, inadequate information about women inmates has led to an absence of resources

for women inmates (Barlow, 2014).

Furthermore, women who enter and exit in criminal justice system are extremely

disempowered. Commonly, the profile of former women inmates is the one who is

disempowered, unfortunate in dysfunctional violent relationships and exploited by a society that

is incapable in supporting their needs. They inherently acquire lower status in society and
 7

committing a crime ranks them far below the average woman (Barlow, 2014). Aside from being

misunderstood by the society, women inmates lack self-confidence in facing the humiliation

upon returning to their communities (Wright et al. 2007). Moreover, Ormita & Perez (2012)

discovered that imprisonment has an effect to an inmate’s psychological state through their

multiple case study of six incarcerated women from Manila City Jail. Not only was that impact,

but their social relationship even to their family is affected as well; and most importantly, the

way they see their self was diminishingly low.

Yet, it is also worthy to note that there are still inmates who would see the prison

experience into the other side of the coin and that is to see things on the lighter and positive

perspective for there are inmates who would consider being imprisoned as transformational and

helpful to rehabilitate them. Rowe (2011) mentioned on her narrative study on the self and

identity of women inmates that there are some of them who see imprisonment as part of their

growth, freedom and even recovery.

Self-esteem. Self-esteem is commonly conceptualized as a component of the self-

concept. Generally, it signifies an individual’s whole positive evaluation of the self (As cited in

Cast & Burke, 2002) and is an individual’s personal emotional response towards themselves

(Heatherton and Wyland 2003). This is also a strong factor that affects personal development

which is something that the researchers would like to understand deeper for this will not only

affect the quality of the present situation of an individual, but will continuously alter one’s life if

not understood well.

Self-esteem is crucial and is a cornerstone of a positive attitude towards living. It is very

important because it affects how one thinks, acts, and even how a person relates to other people

(Bruce, 2017). Self-esteem, according to Nathaniel Brandon, is the “immune system of

 8

consciousness.” He further elaborated, “Just as a healthy immune system does not guarantee that

one will never become ill, but makes one less vulnerable to disease and better equipped to

overcome it, so a healthy self-esteem does not guarantee that one will never suffer anxiety or

depression in the face of life’s difficulties, but makes one less susceptible and better equipped to

cope, rebound and transcend (Ragan, 2017; Brandon, 1994, p. 18).”

In general, self-esteem is defined by how much individuals value themselves. It is a

subjective emotional response towards self (Heatherton & Wyland, 2003) and an evaluative

component of self-knowledge. Baumeister et al., (2003) states that self-esteem is a spectrum that

ranges to an accurate, justified definition of self or how much value individuals place on

themselves. Moreover, self-esteem is not just the outcome but indeed the cause of life’s major

successes and failures. The results of high self-esteem includes willingness to speak up in

groups, likability, and among others. While low self-esteem leads to difficulty speaking up,

externalize behavior, and delinquency. Also, this is supported by Cast and Burke (2002) wherein

positive effects to individuals as well as to society in general is related with high level of self-

esteem. An individual with enhanced self-esteem can effectively cope in stressful situations and

can maintain good health while psychological distress, depression, and antisocial behavior are

outcomes of low self-esteem (Battle 1990; Baumeister 1998; Tennen and Affleck 1993; Crocker,

Luhtanen, Blaine, and Broadnax 1994; Trzesniewski, Donnellan, and Moffitt 2006; as cited in

Boduszek, et,. al, 2016). It is widely known that the idea of fostering an individual’s self-esteem

will be helpful for both the society and the individual (Cast & Burke, 2002). In the Philippine

context, Filipinos are susceptible to the emotional necessities that leads asal or conduct. Amor

propio is a damdamin (emotional) norm which controls our sense of self-esteem (Ylagan, 2012).

Amor propio best translates as self-love. Furthermore, transgressions of self-esteem can

 9

contribute to hiya/shame to a woman. With them who violate the laws, this can be a contributing

factor of a low self-esteem.

According to La Vigne and Cowan (2005) as cited in Grommon et. al (2012); Cobbina

(2009) and; Grey et. al (2016) former women inmates are facing practical issues relating to Commented [5]: References:
Gray et. al (2016). The Resettlement of Women
Offenders: Learning the Lessons. Cornwall Voluntary
accommodation, employment, finances, family (social support), drug, and issues back in the Sector Forum Promoting Change.

community. Research also suggests that self-esteem were largely linked to these issues. Grommon et al (2012). Understanding the Challenges
Facing Offenders Upon Their Return to the Community:
Final Report. Michigan Justice Statistics Center.
Moreover, former women inmates desires to live “normal” life back in the community, however, Michigan State University.

Cobbina, J. (2009). From Prison to Home: Women's

issues stated above and the stigma that they face are barriers in trying to achieve this (Gray et. al, Pathways In and Out of Crime. U. S. Department of
Justice.
2016).

However, as stated by Haney (2002) on his study that had examined the unique

psychological changes of inmates from their prison experience, had said that imprisonment is

almost always difficult for the inmates especially in adjusting to their post-prison state and at

times, most of the inmates creates actions and thoughts that would be dysfunctional for them

when they are outside the prison center. However, he highlights that the experiences of being

imprisoned does not necessarily mean harm to everyone for the psychological effects of it varies

from an individual to another individual. This means that the personal and perceived self-esteem

of the former inmates could be very unique.

Theoretical Framework

The objective of this research is to know and explore the prison specific and personal

self-esteem of former women inmates while they were inside the prison and as they were

released. Hence, the theory that the researchers will be using is the Social Identity Theory. Social
 10

identity is the social category or social group where a person belongs with his or her knowledge

(Hogg & Abrams 1998; as cited in Burke & Stets, 2000). A particular social identity means

being part of a group, being like the other members of the group, and having the same

perspective with the group. This group is defined as a set of individuals who identify themselves

as members of a certain social category (Burke & Stets, 2000). Social Identity Theory by Tajfel

and Turner (1979), attempts to give explanation on an individual’s behavior and how they define

their identities with regard to their social groups and such identifications function in order to

protect and strengthen their self-esteem. In addition, it explains how an individual’s social group

relates to his or her self-esteem.

Social Identity Theory posits that a positive evaluation by an individual to his own group

is helpful in fulfilling one’s need for positive self-esteem (As cited in Boduszek, et,. al 2016).

The main principle of social identity theory is that individuals define their identities

accompanied by two dimensions; social and personal. In social, it is defined by the association in

different social groups. On the other hand, the personal are the particular attributes that make an

individual different from others. The social and personal dimensions are assumed to be at

opposite ends of a range, turning into more or less significant depending on the environment

(Howard, 2000). However, Deaux (1993) stated that there is an interaction between the two

dimensions, implying that these two are not simply separable.

Social identities provide reputation that may or may not enhance self-esteem for the

reason that individuals are motivated in evaluating themselves positively and the groups where

they belong and separate themselves from a particular group that they identify as a threat to their

social identity (Howard, 2000). As reported by Simon and Hastedt (1999), aspects of the self that

are positive and more personally important tend to be the sources on which an individual puts
 11

herself or himself with regards to collective categories, which then shows the relationship

between categorization and evaluation. This indicates that individuals in dominant groups are

likely to be more successful in attaining positive social identity. On the other hand, this is a

challenge for those individuals who belong to misunderstood, negatively appreciated groups,

who may try to make an effort to separate themselves, to evaluate the characteristics of their

group as less negative, to assess their group as more positive in other aspects, or to strive in

producing changes in the status of their group.

Similarly, according to Cooley’s (1998) Looking Glass Theory, that the way individuals

view themselves reflects on others’ perspective about them, which suggests that one’s social

environment is important for self-appraisals (As cited in Boduszek, et,. al, 2016). To Cooley, an

individual’s self-development occurs through the looking-glass self process which involves three

steps. First, the individual considers others on how he or she looks. Second, the person also

considers how other individuals evaluate him or her and lastly, the person may develop positive

or negative feeling regarding to others’ judgment (As cited in Kondrat & Teater, 2012). This

process depend on the ability of an individual to have an accurate interpretation to others’ view

of himself or herself and the esteem in which the person holds to the other (Franks & Gecas,

1992; as cited in Kondrat & Teater, 2012).

In addition, according to Mead's (1934) symbolic interaction theory, it states that people

learn to respond to themselves in a way that others respond to them. An individual may express

positive self-appraisals when those evaluations take place within a social environment in which

they feel valued and accepted, and negative self appraisals in a more unfavorable environment

(As cited in Boduszek, et,. al, 2016).

 12

Given these theoretical assumptions, it presumes that other individuals are also important

in one’s self-evaluation, thus, Boduszek, et,. al (2016) suggested that the self-esteem of prisoners

should be considered as a multi-dimensional concept indicating personal (context-free) and

prison (context specific) self-esteem.

Conceptual Framework

The illustration above shows the variables that are mainly involved in this study.

Statement of the Problem

This study seeks to determine the perceived prison self-esteem and personal self-esteem

of the former women inmates. Specifically, this study will answer the following questions:

A. Dynamics of the life experiences of former women inmates through the following

aspects:

1. Identification of the Participant (age, civil status, etc.)

2. Developmental History
 13

3. Family Background

4. Academic Background

5. Work Background

6. Medical History

7. Legal History

B. Self-esteem of former women inmates through the following aspects:

1. What is the perceived prison self-esteem of former women inmates?

2. What is the personal self-esteem of former women inmates?

Significance of the Study

This study focuses on exploring the self-esteem of former women inmates. Furthermore,

the findings will be helpful to the following:

Participants. The participants will gain awareness and understanding regarding to their

self-esteem and their own needs such as psychological needs (counselling and psychosocial

interventions) that are when addressed and accommodated, will help them on their way to

recovery and completing their probation and parole.

Social Relationships. This research can help the family members and peers to realize that

they have a huge impact on the self-esteem of the former women inmates. Thus, this study aims

to provide awareness to the family and loved ones of the participants to become more sensitive

and accepting.

Community. It has been observed that former women inmates are being misunderstood by

the community because they are law offenders. Hence, the results of this study will be an eye-
 14

opener to the members of the community. The result of this study will make the members of the

community to be more accepting and will show their support to the former inmates. In addition,

former women inmates will be recognized that they have the chance to start a new beginning

especially to job opportunities. Thus, this research will serve as a step to relate, understand and at

the same time minimize discrimination toward former women inmates.

Researchers. This research will help the researchers deepen their knowledge about their

field and have the opportunity to share this to the community.

Future Researchers. This will be beneficial to the future researchers as their guide and

source of improvements for their future study and the developing knowledge of psychology

research about the self-esteem of former women inmates.

Body of Knowledge. The results of this study will contribute to the growth of body of

knowledge, particularly in the field of Psychology, as well as the effects of prison experiences or

imprisonment to the self-esteem of former women inmates.

Definition of Terms

The following are terms which are operationally defined for better understanding of this

paper.

Self-esteem is a former woman inmate’s self evaluation of her worth and capabilities as

an individual.

Former Women Inmates refers to the biologically born females who were in prison before

and were completely been released at least three years ago.

Imprisonment refers to the punishment ranging from fines to short or long term in prison.
 15

Prison self-esteem is the woman inmate’s self evaluation within the prison context.

Personal self-esteem is the woman inmate’s context-free self evaluation.

Scope and Limitations

This study will focus mainly on exploring the prison specific self-esteem and personal

self-esteem through an in-depth interview. Collection of information for the case history includes

identification of the participant (age, civil status, etc.), developmental history, family

background, academic background, work background, medical history and legal history.

The participants of this study are limited only to the former women inmates, 18 years old

and above, who have been released at least three years ago coming from Cagayan de Oro City

Jail referred by the City Probation and Parole Office. Since the researchers will be obtaining

qualitative data, self-reported data is limited by the fact that it can be individually verified, thus,

can contain several potential sources of personal bias. Furthermore, recollection of information

may be potentially difficult for some questions could not be answered in great depth.
 16

CHAPTER II

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study will use qualitative type of research. Qualitative research is subjective and

seeks to gain understanding of human behavior and reasons that control such behavior such as

conducting an in-depth interview. Furthermore, the researchers will be specifically using

Inductive Thematic Analysis approach of Qualitative research. This approach includes

identifying and coding emergent themes within data collected.

Research Environment

This research will be conducted inside the City Parole and Probation Administration

Office. The office is located at the 3rd floor, Jofelmor Building, Mortola St., Cagayan de Oro

City. The office has a Regional Conference Room inside in which an in-depth interview is

conducive and safe to be conducted.

Sample and Sampling Procedure

The goal of the research is to conduct in-depth interviews to former women inmates ago

ages 18-60 years old who have been released last three years to explore their perceived prison

self-esteem and personal self-esteem, as well as their prison experiences. To accomplish this

goal, qualitative method through snowball sampling is employed. The sample of this study

consists of five (N=5) former women inmates from Cagayan de Oro City Jail referred by the City

Probation and Parole Office.

 17

Research Instruments

The validated semi-structured guide questions that formulated by the researchers will be

used for data gathering during the in-depth interview. The guide questions will focus on the

prison self-esteem and personal self-esteem based on the participants’ prison experiences. It will

also explore on the family background, academic background, work background, developmental

history, medical history and legal history of the participants.

Validity and Reliability of Instruments

The in-depth interview semi-structured guide questions will be formulated by the

researchers. These questions will undergo Forward-Backward translation from English to

Visayan and validation by an expert. The in-depth interview guide questions are semi-structured

grounded by the items from self-esteem measure for prisoners scale developed by Boduszek et.

al (2016). It consists of four items for prison specific and another four items for personal self-

esteem. The reliability of the SEM-P factors was assessed using composite reliability. For

personal self-esteem CR=.78 and prison self-esteem CR=.74, which indicates that both have a

good internal consistency.

Research Procedure
 18

The procedure. Please see Appendix A for the calendar of schedules for the pilot testing

and final in-depth interview.

In gathering the participants, letter for approval of conducting a research will be

addressed to Ms. Evelyn Gille the chief probation and parole officer of City Parole and Probation

Office, (see Appendix B). The content of the letter includes the objective of the study and the

participants needed which is a total of (N=5), as possible, those who have been completely

released last three (3) years ago, ages from 18 – 60 years old are indicated in the letter.

In actual data gathering, informed consent will be given to the participants highlighting

the purpose of the study and confidentiality. The five (5) participants will undergo in-depth

interview which will be conducted by the hired professional for exploration of their perceived

prison specific self-esteem and personal self-esteem. There will be a total of two (2) sessions of

in-depth interviews for each participants. During the interview, the information from the

participants will audio record the duration of the interview with their consent. The in-depth

interview per session will last for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Debriefing will follow which will be

conducted by the hired professional on the third and last session to give a proper termination. By

the end of this study, the participants will be given the freedom to know the results. However it

will be coming from a collective perspective and not their individual results.

Data Analysis

The participants’ responses in the in-depth interview will be analyzed using Framework

Method, also known as thematic analysis or qualitative content analysis or will be used for the

analysis. Framework Method offers a systematic model for mapping and managing the data,

thus, is an admirable tool for supporting thematic analysis (Gale NK, Heath G, Cameron E,
 19

Rashid S & Redwood S., 2013). There are seven stages of this analysis which the researchers

will follow and these are Transcription, Familiarisation, Coding, Developing a working

analytical framework, Applying the analytical framework, Charting data into the framework

matrix and Interpreting the data.

Ethical Consideration

Project Details. Data will be gathered through an in-depth interview. A validated semi-structured

questions will be used as guide for the interview. In-depth interview will be conducted by the

hired professional (MA in Psychology practicumer and who is a registered Psychometrician at

the same time). Debriefing will follow that will only take for about twenty (20) minutes.

The thesis proposal will be reviewed by a panel of experts in the discipline through a defense.

The researchers’ qualifications, experience and skills are appropriate to the proposed research.

The researchers have conducted previous case studies and researches, which helped the

researchers to acquire facilitating, processing and other relevant skills, that will greatly aid them

in their research.

The research study will be done two semesters (A.Y. 2018-2019) June 2018-March 2019 at

Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan. Data gathering will be conducted at City Parole and

Probation Office during specific dates. The results will be disseminated to the Xavier University

Community. The participants will be also provided with information pertaining to the collected

data but through a collective dissemination of results.

Permission letters will be distributed to City Parole and Probation Office informing of the

conduction of research study in their office. Also, the researchers’ thesis moderator is fully

informed of the conduction of the study outside the campus.

 20

The sample size of the participants for qualitative method, age range of the participants, and

where the participants will be gathered are clearly specified in the procedure.

Participant Details. In this study, the participants are former women inmates, ages 18 and above,

released from Cagayan de Oro City Jail (Lumbia City Jail) and referred by the City Parole and

Probation Office . The participants have been released last three years ago thus they are no Commented [6]: =

longer associated to the jail management.

Possible Risks and Risk Management. This study will use a validated semi-structured guide

questions for the in-depth interview. The data gathered will be audio recorded for educational

purposes with the consent of the participants. In line with this, the chief officer of City Parole

and Probation Administration already approved about the audio recording, and thus, the only

need is the approval of the participant. However, if the participant does not want the interviews

to be audio documented, the researchers will do the note-taking. There will be no diaries and Commented [7]: 1

participant observation in a non-public place without their knowledge. When accessing the

personal and confidential data, consent of the participants will be asked. There are possibilities

that the questions will be sensitive to the participants and may viewed as unpleasant during or

after the research, participants are free to decline. To the participants willing to finish the

research, debriefing will be facilitated by the end of all the sessions. The guide questions will

undergo validation by an expert to minimize these possibilities. In addition, it is guaranteed that

there will be no performance of any acts which might reduce the self-esteem of participants or

make them feel embarrassed or guilt.

This will be an investigation of participants who are former women inmates from Cagayan City

Jail who are already released last three years ago. Procedures in this study for data gathering will

not involve deception to the participants. Other concerns such us administration of any substance
 21

or agent, use of non-treatment of placebo control conditions, collection of body fluids or tissue

samples, collection and/or testing of DNA samples, collection and/or testing of gametes or

embryo tissue, participation in a clinical trial, administration of ionizing radiation are not

applicable in this research.

In the actual research, potential risks such as psychological risks, privacy and loss of

confidentiality may arise and are identified in this research. Both the participants and the

researchers are susceptible to these risks. The participants may be at risk when answering the

questions which may or may not result into an emotional trauma. The privacy of the participants

are also at risk whenever questions that are too personal will be asked. Moreover, loss of

confidentiality may occur when the data gathered will be disclosed to the public. However,

researchers will uphold confidentiality so long as the information disclosed is not harmful to the

researcher, to the participants itself and to society. The researchers are not vulnerable to

psychological and physical risks since in-depth interviews will be conducted by the hired

professional. The researchers will be assisted by the chief security officer of Xavier University -

Ateneo de Cagayan and probation and parole thus their safety is not compromised.

All the potential risks that will possibly occur to the researchers mentioned above are much

greater than the usual in daily life. For the participants, the potential benefits of this study

include, but is not limited to, a deeper understanding of their self-esteem and the application of

such awareness to help their adjustment to life outside prison. These potential benefits outweigh

the possible risks that the participants may or may not experience.

The researchers are expected to reduce these potential risks. To prevent psychological harm to

the participants, the questions will be validated in order to avoid sensitive questions. Debriefing

will also follow which will be done by a trained and licensed professional to ensure that the
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participants are well-informed and are not psychologically or physically harmed as well as to

terminate the study properly.

Informed Consent. Informed consents will be provided to the participants in the first session of

the data gathering. The content of the consent form highlights the purpose of the study including

the title of the study as well as the terms and conditions of the study. It is indicated from what

University and department the researchers are coming from. The approximated length of time

and possible risks that will occur are specified in the informed consent. It is also indicated that

participation in the study is voluntary and if the participants wish to withdraw consent and that

they may do so anytime. Participants are free to withdraw, even unprocessed data previously

supplied. Moreover, the data gathered in this research will be destroyed at the end of the study

after it will be used solely for educational and research purposes.

Confidentiality/Anonymity. The gathered data will be kept with utmost care to protect the identity

and personal information of the participants and to avoid loss of confidentiality. To ensure this,

the participants will be anonymized, rather their names, it will be numbers. The participants will

be informed when the research will be publicized and code names will be used to protect and

hide the identity of the participants. With the privacy of data, it will be securely kept on

electronic devices wherein the researchers can only access. Lastly, the data will be destroyed

after the final research paper will be presented to the panel of interviewers for educational

purposes only.

Other Ethical Considerations of Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP). The

researchers have taken Clinical Psychology course wherein they have studied the Code of Ethics

of the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP), thus the researchers are

knowledgeable and well-equipped when it comes to principles in researches. In conducting the

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study, the researchers will follow standard and ethical measures in gathering the participants

such as obtaining their approval through providing informed consent. The informed consent will

include and describe the nature and procedures of the study. The researchers will make sure that

the possible risks during or after the research are explained well to the participants. In addition, a

debriefing session will be conducted after the data gathering in order to reduce harmful effects

that the participants may experience after the research.

The actual research will be done in City Parole and Probation Office, in this way, it will not

compromise the safety nor expose the identity of the participants. More importantly, the

participants are free to decline in participating and withdraw during their participation with or

without reason. The researchers will also secure the personal information of the participants and

will not be disclosed to others specifically for third parties unless the participants will give their

consent.

Deception will not be used to the participants upon doing the research. The identity and the

information collected will remain highly confidential and will be securely kept throughout the

duration of the study. Furthermore, the researchers will follow ethics in conducting the

procedures for data gathering hence, the researchers will not violate any humanitarian, local, or

international laws.
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