On November 25, the Ministry of Justice advanced a new legislation, which extend a limit of the prison term to 30 years (now 25 years.) for sexual criminals. Even the ruling party, Hannara is also considering extending the limit longer to 50 years. As society changes, the punishment is more massive. These strong policies relate to increasing average lifes and the incident rate of crimes.
Does it really give a positive effect on decreasing the crimes to extend the term of imprisonment? Is it really helpful to the ultimate object to imprison; which guides the bad men aright? These political measures don’t try to educate the criminals but focus on giving a penalty to them. The scheme depending on fear and consciousness is only a temporary expedient, which has limitations. Even thought the effect to protect the society from the villians might raise, the original intension of the imprisonment will be to degrade, which reveals the foolishness of the limit of the temporary solutions.
In the statistics of Supreme Prosecutor’s Office, there is an interesting contradiction. The level of the rehabilitation is related to the rate of committing second offenses. Accoriding to published statistics, the percentage of repeat offenders in the 5 major crimes; thief, homicide, robbery has increased until 2007 since 1983, excepting only rape. Even if the investigations for rights and welfare are carried out, it couldn’t give the positive effect to decrease the repeted offenders. The humanitarian endeavor is thought to have failed. The correction was misleading.
On the other hand, the rate of second offences was high once in early 2000 by 64 percent. However, it started to decrease after 2001, as a result of the interest of the public and the government’s strict policy. The result is comparable with other crimes. It is a positive result caused by the strict policy. This shows that only a strict one, the stick, is effective among the carrot and the stick. It is the example which shows only the strict punishment and management can reduce the crime.       Could the brutal criminals be changed under the education program of the present Korea? Korea Correctional Service clarifies that the main purpose of execution of the sentences is changing the criminal nature through education and making them to return to the society as the citizen. For this, the organization operates the education in humanity and extending scholastic abilities, considering the personal characters. Particularly, various activities like counseling and meeting, using the useful private sectors were carried out. Education through the various media like religion and art in daily life are also carried out.
To prevent prisoners from second offences is the basic to keep our social rule. However, the efforts and money are invested, the result must be efficacious. Corrections in Korea have hesitated on its direction. The carrots without whipping is insecurity. Keeping the balance is important for cutting the vicious cycle of crimes.