The Life in Jail: Lived Experiences of Persons Deprived of Liberty

This study investigated the lived experiences among Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) using phenomenological approach of qualitative research. Five PDL from Surigao City, Philippines were chosen as informants of the study based from the years of imprisonment. The data were gathered through in-depth interviews focusing on the informants’ personal experiences inside and outside the jail. Based on the analysis of data, 23 concepts were formulated from significant meaning units, and the concepts were categorized into five propositions. From these categories, 4 themes emerged: Connections, Self-reflection, Difficulties and Challenges, and Adapting for survival. The findings of this study provide an important foundation from which to increase public awareness and to understand the experiences among PDL who went through change but faced difficulties and challenges inside and outside the jail. It involved the negative and positive experiences; negative because they experienced longing for their family, loneliness, and hardships especially as they encounter discrimination by the people outside, and positive because they experienced change inside the jail and learned from their mistakes in the past. Such a phenomenon at some point leads ex-convicts to self-reflect and change their lives into good examples. These experiences of PDL may influence and inspire the youth to avoid any crimes and help them realize that life inside the prison is not easy as they think. From these experiences, people can have an understanding and be aware of what would life be like inside the jail and may develop a more productive consciousness of one’s life.