The Iligan City Jail-Male Dormitory (ICJMD) has reported remarkable progress in its Read Your Way Out (RYWO) program, a literacy-based rehabilitation initiative that allows inmates to earn sentence reductions through structured reading activities. Launched in May 2024, the program is a collaboration between the ICJMD, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the National Library of the Philippines.
Under the Time Allowance for Studying, Teaching, and Mentoring (TASTM) provision, participants receive formal recognition for their educational engagement, translating their dedication to reading into tangible sentence reductions.
RELATED: [Makati City Library Launches Honesty Book Trolley At City Jail]
Significant Gains in Educational Participation
A recent study titled “Reading in Jail: A Gateway to Personal Development and Reduced Sentences” by JO3 Walter Woo Mainit Jr., chief of ICJMD’s Unit Welfare and Development Section, documented a dramatic increase in inmate participation. Before RYWO, the jail averaged just seven TASTM grantees per month.
After the program’s launch, that number skyrocketed to an average of 148 monthly grantees, with 111 actively engaging in reading activities, a 2,014-percent increase that underscores the program’s impact.
“These results speak volumes about what’s possible when we invest in human potential,” said City Jail Warden JCInsp. Carmelo A. Corsame. “RYWO has proven that rehabilitation is a practice rooted in empathy, education, and empowerment. Our PDL are not just serving time; they’re reclaiming their futures, one book at a time.”
Linking Literacy to Early Release
The study also highlighted the program’s contribution to early release. Between May 2024 and April 2025, 24 inmates were released with documented RYWO-linked TASTM credits. Since then, an additional 38 inmates have been granted early release due to accumulated reading-based time allowances, while 67 more are scheduled for release in the third quarter of 2025, contingent on verified participation in the program.
Mainit will present his research at the Philippine Librarians’ Association Inc. Annual Congress at the SMX Convention Center in Bacolod City from November 23 to 26, 2025, showcasing RYWO as a scalable model for literacy-driven rehabilitation and correctional policy innovation.
A Model of Developmental Penology
Mainit, a Philosophy graduate from Mindanao State University-Marawi, has received multiple accolades, including the Gawad Penolohiya awards for Best Unit Welfare and Development Officer and Best Therapeutic Community Modality Program Implementer.
His initiatives reflect the core ideals of developmental penology, focusing on learning, rehabilitation, and respecting the inherent dignity of inmates rather than solely punishing them.
RELATED: [Closing The Literacy Gap: ARAL Program Launched In Calabarzon]
