Reception and Diagnostic Center

Recognizing the need to properly orient newly committed prisoners to the Bureau of Corrections, the Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC) was created through the issuance of Administrative Order no. 8, series of 1953 of the Department of Justice. It was patterned after the reception facilities of the California State Prison. The RDC is an independent institution tasked to receive, study, classify all national prisoners committed by final judgment to the National Penitentiary.

The first RDC facility was created in Building no. 9 of the Maximum Security Compound of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), Muntinlupa City. In a move to isolate the facility from the troubled maximum security wing then experiencing violence in 1973, RDC was relocated to Building no. 7, formerly referred to as Metro Jail of Medium Security Compound of Camp Sampaguita, NBP. To further insulate the newly received inmates from gang related exposures, the Center was transferred to the previous military command post adjacent the Medium Security facility where it is presently situated.

The RDC is an entirely separate division with a highly technical function headed by the Chief of the RDC who oversees its independence in carrying its mandated tasks to receive study and classify all male national inmates committed to the Corrections by a competent court of authority. The Chief is directly responsible to the Director for all the activities undertaken by her personnel. Presently, RDC has a total of fifty (50) personnel, consisting of 21 civilian and 29 security officers, whose job functions are inter-related for a worthy implementation of its programs.

The success of all prisons' rehabilitation process depends on how the RDC tackles the necessary orientation, diagnosis and treatment programs of the newly arrived inmates. Within the framework of staff