Correctional Facilities COVID-19 Stabilization... Stepwise Normalization of Visits and Facilities

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Except for some facilities where COVID-19 cluster infections occurred, the normalization of operations at correctional facilities nationwide is underway. The infection outbreak centered on Seoul Dongbu Detention Center at the end of last year has entered a stabilization phase after about two months.

According to the legal community on the 20th, the Ministry of Justice has allowed general and video visitations at correctional facilities nationwide starting this week. Inmate treatment measures such as visitations, exercise, and bathing, which had been restricted following the cluster infections, have also begun to normalize sequentially in accordance with the social distancing levels in the local communities.

In correctional facilities, after the cluster infection at Dongbu Detention Center at the end of last year, a uniform Level 3 quarantine measure was applied. Both general and video visitations were suspended, and the use of cooking and bathing facilities was restricted. It was only in mid-last month that quarantine authorities adjusted social distancing measures to Level 2.5 in the metropolitan area and Level 2 in non-metropolitan areas, partially easing quarantine measures in correctional facilities, but visitations remained restricted.

However, starting this week, as the metropolitan area lowered from Level 2.5 to Level 2 and non-metropolitan areas from Level 2 to Level 1.5, the Ministry of Justice also permitted visitations.

In correctional facilities within the metropolitan area, pretrial detainees and inmates classified as S1~2 can have visitations once a week, while inmates classified as S3~4 can have visitations once every two weeks. In non-metropolitan correctional facilities, the number of visitations has increased further. Pretrial detainees and S1 inmates can have visitations twice a week, and S2~4 inmates can have visitations 6 to 4 times per month respectively, with differentiated frequency.

However, places where COVID-19 patients have recently occurred or confirmed inmates are receiving treatment, such as Dongbu Detention Center and Nambu Prison, will continue visitation restrictions for the time being. Dongbu Detention Center has begun normalizing operations, including returning about 210 inmates transferred to other institutions last week, but it was finally decided to only lift restrictions on the use of cooking, exercise, and bathing facilities. Nambu Prison remains at a cautious stage as nine inmates working in the kitchen were confirmed positive on the 2nd, and one additional close-contact inmate tested positive on the 6th.

A Ministry of Justice official stated, "For places where COVID-19 risk factors have occurred in the past 2 to 3 weeks, we will observe the situation further before deciding on resuming visitations," adding, "If risk factors are detected within correctional facilities, we will immediately adjust the levels independently of local government quarantine measures."

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