Good conduct time allowance or GCTA is the most important

alphabetical representation to the prisoner. It is earned through his

demeanour while serving time in the prison system. It is something that is
immediately reflected on his prison record as a tentative computation on the
timeline of his incarceration.
Barring any unfortunate incident, the prisoner deserves his freedom in
a period of time, which is not according to the actual calendar date but
rather on the legal correctional timetable. On top of said prison sentence
reduction scheme, another law was passed (RA 10592). It would add more
days that would reduce further the sentence, and that which is reckoned as
jail time.
Let me simplify. If on a stretch an inmate earns 15 days off from every
month of his penalty on a regular basis before, the recent law would add
more days. Hence, a prisoner will earn up to 45 days more for every month
of his incarceration.
The computation would look like this. If a person is sentenced to more
than 20 years, and from the start of his incarceration he has served 10 years,
as computed following the time allowance provided for by law has been used
(45 days off monthly), he has already satisfied and served out his penalty
already. That means that the prisoner will see freedom earlier, assuming
that he has never been involved in any prison infraction or has committed
any offense during the period he is serving time.
Republic Act No. 10592, otherwise known as an act amending Articles
29, 94,97, 98 and 99 of Act no. 3815 authorises the credit of preventive
imprisonment and a revised schedule of good conduct time allowance in the
initial computation should a penalty is handed down.
The law further allows the Director of Corrections, Chief of BJMP,
Warden (provincial, district, municipal or city jail to grant allowances for good
conduct. Previously, it is the Director of Corrections who is the only one
authorised to grant such reduction scheme.
The provision in the computation procedure on the reduction scheme
for good conduct/ behaviour incentive has the following features:

First two years of imprisonment, 20 days off for each month.

Third and Fifth year, 23 days off.
Following year up to 10th year, 25 days off.
Eleventh and successive years, 30 days off.

At any time when his services includes teaching, study or mentoring,

additional 15 days off.
Appeals made by prisoner do not disturb entitlement of good conduct
allowance.
The law (RA 10592) is a serious correctional provision because any
officer who fails to comply with the application of said law is liable to be
imprisoned (one year imprisonment), a fine of P100,000 and perpetual
disqualification to hold public office. Now that is something.
To date, the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the law is still
in the drawing board but the entire correctional system is already busy
formulating the infrastructure for its eventual application. I say that unlike
before where computation was done manually through the dexterity of those
assigned to the task, now it could only be done swiftly through a software
program. Once encoded and provided with an equation, it is technology that
would virtually process each case and in a whiff, provide the prisoner the
exact date when his penalty would be over.
The law would definitely improve morale and promote hope and build
confidence in the true mandate of rehabilitation in correctional
administration.