The government will expand the nationwide implementation of the 'Judicial-Treatment-Rehabilitation Linkage Model' to support the social reintegration of drug offenders and prevent recidivism.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 15th that for drug offenders under conditional suspension of prosecution who are deemed to require treatment and rehabilitation, an expert committee composed of psychiatrists and other specialists will assess the level of addiction and provide tailored treatment and rehabilitation programs accordingly. This system will be expanded nationwide.
Previously, when drug offenders were given conditional suspension of prosecution, conditions such as guidance, treatment, and education were imposed, but from now on, 'rehabilitation' will be explicitly stipulated as a condition.
Additionally, on the day of the prosecution investigation, a pre-counselor from the Korea Anti-Drug Movement Headquarters will visit the prosecution office to conduct a preliminary addiction assessment. Based on the medical opinions of the expert committee, individualized treatment and rehabilitation programs will be assigned. The expert committee is expected to include at least six specialists, including a minimum of two psychiatrists.
As a result of a pilot project conducted from June to November last year with 22 individuals under conditional suspension of prosecution, none of the participants engaged in additional drug use during the probation period. Furthermore, analysis of in-depth individual interviews showed high satisfaction with personalized programs such as psychological counseling, demonstrating the effectiveness of the system.
Park Young-bin, head of the Narcotics and Organized Crime Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, stated, "Through the nationwide expansion of this linkage model, we will increase opportunities for treatment and rehabilitation for drug offenders who have the will to recover. Those who do not sincerely participate in the linkage model or fail to meet the conditions, such as committing recidivism, will be prosecuted. We will ensure that the subjects earnestly engage in the program to promote recidivism prevention and social reintegration through treatment and rehabilitation."
Yoon Woong-jang, Director of Crime Prevention Policy at the Ministry of Justice, said, "Probation offices will continuously motivate the subjects to actively participate in treatment and rehabilitation programs and will conduct regular and random drug tests to suppress recidivism."
Woo Bin, Legal Newspaper Reporter
※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.
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