"Exemplary Inside, But Once Released..." Only 27 Officers at Night in Overcrowded Prison [Reportage]

Becoming a Correctional Officer at Hwaseong Vocational Training Prison
Two Inmates Sharing a 10-Square-Meter Cell
Severe Overcrowding Makes Rehabilitation Difficult
Inmate Stress Erupts Toward Correctional Officers
Officers Focused on

"Severe prison overcrowding means that while expanding parole might make things a bit easier for correctional officers, it is inevitable that ordinary citizens would feel uneasy."

On January 29, at Hwaseong Vocational Training Prison in Gyeonggi Province, a correctional officer with four years of experience sighed as he shared this perspective. Hwaseong Vocational Training Prison houses around 1,800 inmates. Given the four-shift work system, only 27 correctional officers are effectively responsible for managing the entire facility at night. He explained, "Most inmates who are released on parole have led 'exemplary' lives inside, but there are still cases where I wonder, 'Will it really be okay for them to re-enter society?'"

Inside the women's cell block at Hwaseong Vocational Training Prison in Gyeonggi Province. Provided by the Ministry of Justice

The facility, which the reporter visited for a 'one-day correctional officer' experience, is where inmates and staff come into closest contact in their daily lives. Walking through the cell block corridor in uniform after passing several security checks, the area was not dark thanks to many windows, but a persistent chill lingered in the air.

Their daily routine is nothing short of a struggle. Spending the entire day climbing up and down the ramps of a three-story building without elevators alongside inmates, the number of steps quickly exceeds 20,000. With visitation schedules every 30 minutes and a flood of civil complaints to handle, even the roughly 15-minute lunch break was difficult to fully enjoy.

Opening the door to a single-inmate cell in the women's block revealed a suffocating space. Two people share a room of just about 10 square meters, including the bathroom, making it difficult for both to lie down straight except for the space taken up by the storage cabinet. The stress of inmates confined in such cramped quarters often erupts in the form of complaints to correctional officers and constant emergency bell calls around the clock. One officer remarked, "If you've never faced a complaint to the Human Rights Commission, it's as if you haven't really done the job."

The average occupancy rate at correctional facilities nationwide is 129%, and for female inmates, it has soared to 143.9%. Although this facility was originally intended as a 'vocational training prison' to help selected inmates acquire specialized skills for reintegration into society, a lack of space has led to even pretrial detainees being housed here together. As a result, correctional officers have no choice but to focus their energy more on simple 'control and accident prevention' than on 'rehabilitation.'

Nevertheless, efforts toward 'rehabilitation' continue in some corners within the walls. In the tile workshop, inmates were sweating as they focused on hands-on training. Hwaseong Vocational Training Prison offers 26 programs, ranging from baking and barista training to welding and maintenance. Last year, it achieved a qualification pass rate of 95%, with 607 inmates completing the courses.

Jung Sung-ho, Minister of Justice, conducted an on-site inspection of correctional facilities at Hwaseong Vocational Training Prison on the 29th of last month to explore policies and solutions for correctional institutions. Provided by the Ministry of Justice

Jung Sung-ho, Minister of Justice, who inspected the site that day, stated, "I am grateful to the staff who have quietly carried out their duties under difficult conditions," adding, "This year, we will make improving the environment of correctional facilities and the treatment of frontline staff our top priorities and strive to achieve tangible results."