Human Rights Commissioner Choi Young-ae: "Inmates Confirmed with COVID-19 in Correctional Facilities Must Receive Adequate Medical Care"

Chairperson Choi Young-ae of the Human Rights Commission Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] Choi Young-ae, Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission, recently expressed the opinion that appropriate treatment must be provided in response to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 cluster infections within correctional facilities.

On the 6th, Chairperson Choi stated in a press release, "The Commission has received complaints from families of inmates in correctional facilities where cluster infections have occurred, reporting that they received no response when inquiring about COVID-19 test results or the current condition of the inmates, and that appropriate measures were not taken even when inmates reported suspected COVID-19 symptoms." She added, "In this serious disaster situation, active measures and cooperation beyond conventional ideas are necessary to resolve the issues, and I issue this statement to emphasize the human rights principle that the life and health of individuals must be protected without discrimination under any circumstances."

She said, "Minimizing contact with the outside is necessary for quarantine, but inmates differ significantly from other groups in that they do not have their own means of communication," and added, "Measures should be actively sought, such as temporarily allowing communication methods that were not previously considered, so that the health and treatment status of infected and quarantined inmates can be smoothly communicated to their families and the outside, and information related to infectious diseases can be effectively distributed to the inmates."

She continued, "Inmates must have access to universal standard medical services, including emergency and specialized treatment, and be managed within the medical system of the quarantine authorities," emphasizing, "Correctional institutions need to transparently inform the public about inmate infections, treatment status, care conditions, and action plans, and establish an active cooperation system with quarantine authorities."

Chairperson Choi also urged correctional authorities for prompt and concrete measures to alleviate overcrowding in correctional facilities and expand the medical system, and called for active cooperation from related agencies such as economic departments and judicial authorities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.