A Detention Center in Busan. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 22 (Korea Bizwire) — Tablet PCs will be installed in all interview rooms at correctional facilities across the country, and opportunities for video and smart visits, which were limited due to lack of equipment, will increase significantly.
It is expected that the expansion of “non-face-to-face visits” will also help prevent further spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Ministry of Justice said Thursday that it has begun building a “next-generation intelligent correctional facilities information system.”
Among the projects that will be carried out in three stages, the ministry started to establish an integrated correctional facilities information system in March.
The first phase of the project, which focuses on improving the convenience of civil petitions and improving the efficiency of correctional work, will be carried out by May 2021.
Major projects include unifying the interview system, automating the assignment of inmates to transport institutions, and introducing unmanned correctional service terminals and ‘chatbots’ for civil petitions.
The current interview system for correctional facilities is operated separately depending on the type of interview room.
The ministry decided to unify the system by installing tablet PCs that can receive all types of consultations in the interview room that is operated by dividing them into general interview, video interview, and smart interview.
If an integrated interview platform is established, flexible use of interview rooms will be possible, which will greatly increase the number of video and smart interview opportunities, which were limited in use due to a lack of facilities and equipment.
Once the online non-face-to-face visits are expanded, it is expected to contribute to the spread of safe non-face-to-face work systems at the height of COVID-19.
Kiosks and unmanned terminals have been installed in correctional agencies’ civil service offices to enhance the convenience of scheduling interviews and applying for the purchase of goods.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
