The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) has called for stronger fairness and transparency in the procedures for awarding consolation and condolence payments related to injuries and deaths of inmates during prison work activities at correctional facilities.
The commission said Thursday that it delivered recommendations to the Minister of Justice based on on-site inspections of three correctional facilities nationwide.
The NHRCK pointed out as problematic the fact that the correctional officers' council, which determines the scale of consolation and condolence payments and whether to reduce them, is composed entirely of internal staff at correctional facilities. The commission determined that subjective factors such as "diligence" and "contribution" could be reflected in the decision-making process, and that inmates, who are the parties concerned, are not sufficiently guaranteed the opportunity to present their opinions directly.
Accordingly, the NHRCK recommended that the Minister of Justice allow external experts in the field of industrial accidents to participate in deliberations on consolation and condolence payments, and establish procedures for inmates to state their opinions. The commission added that a system should also be created to guide inmates through state compensation claims and related procedures.
Safety management conditions at correctional facility workshops were also inspected during the visits. While a considerable number of facilities operated regular safety training and inspection systems, some workshops were found to have problems including inadequate management of protective equipment, poor handling of chemical substances, and insufficient ventilation facilities.
In one case, some welding workshops were found to have no fire extinguishers installed on the premises, raising concerns about limited early-stage fire response capability. At workshops using wood glue, masks past their expiration dates were also found in storage.
"We expect this recommendation to serve as an opportunity to expand the substantive and procedural rights of inmates," the NHRCK said. "We will continue to work for the protection of inmates' human rights and improvement of their treatment through on-site inspections of correctional facilities going forward."
