A Study on Guaranteeing the Constitutional Rights of Prisoners
수형자의 권리침해에 대한 구제
Punishment for crimes committed in Korea Today is meted out based on rehabilitation of the offender. Consequently, during their incarceration, prisoners are given technical training. It is important that the constitutional rights of prisoners be limited. Prisoners rights and determining their restrictions are major problems with present criminal policy. Therefore, prisoners' rights must be protected to the utmost. Since the end of the Second World War, criminal policy of the international community, centering around the United Nations, has had an influence on Korea, leading to the latest revision of the country's Prison Act and efforts for the maximum protection of rights. The Prison Act must stipulate to what degree a prisoner's rights may be restricted as well as how assistance can be received when those rights are violated, but the Prison Act stipulate no such provisions. To solve these problems, the following are proposed. First, the penal system must be able to address the complaints of prisoners according to law, and there must be more flexibility in the operation of prison affairs. Second, there are many cases in which a prisoner cannot begin legal proceedings for an appeal or present a constitutional lawsuit to a court. Therefore, as is the case in Germany, in Korea also a law must be made which provides that prisoners who have their rights violated while incarcerated under the death penalty may initiate legal proceedings under the Prison Act. Third, The penal system must be independent of the Ministry of Justice, whose supervision it is now under. Specialization must be attained in prison management, but first, there must be an attitudinal change in prison management and security personnel.