[2020 National Audit] Only 1 in 10 Drug Offenders Receive Rehabilitation Education... Recidivism Rate 36.2%

Democratic Party Rep. Ko Young-in: "Expanding Rehabilitation for Drug Addicts Is the Only Way to Reduce Costs"

Go Young-in, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea

[Asia Economy Reporter Wondara] It has been revealed that only one out of ten drug offenders receives rehabilitation education. It was also analyzed that one out of three drug offenders commits drug crimes again.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and others to Go Young-in, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, although the number of drug offenders is rapidly increasing, as of last year, rehabilitation education was provided to only one out of ten offenders (14%). In the same year, the number of repeat drug offenders was 5,710, with 344 rehabilitation instructors, 6 counselors, and only two addiction rehabilitation centers operated in Seoul and the Yeongnam region.

The inadequate rehabilitation education system led to a high recidivism rate. Last year, the recidivism rate among drug offenders was 36.2%, with 5,710 individuals committing drug crimes again. The resulting socioeconomic cost was analyzed to be 170.5 billion KRW annually, including 3.3 billion KRW for health and medical expenses, 119.3 billion KRW for criminal justice costs such as trials, 3.1 billion KRW for productivity loss, and 44.8 billion KRW for the pain caused to those around drug addicts.

Assemblyman Go said, "The detection of drug offenders in 2019 was the highest since statistics began, and the socioeconomic costs caused by drug offenders are enormous, with a considerably high recidivism rate. However, rehabilitation education and counseling for preventing recidivism and for potential drug offenders are insufficient. The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety must expedite the expansion of rehabilitation personnel for systematic treatment and management of these individuals. The National Assembly will also do its best to secure related budgets."

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