The old Prison Act did not have any clear provisions specifying a basic philosophy and purposes of inmate treatment such as rehabilitation of inmates and realization of their smooth reintegration into society, but had enhanced correctional treatment through routine practices by implementing prison work and various educational activities.
  The Act on Treatment of Sentenced Inmates defines a basic philosophy of inmate treatment as rehabilitation of inmates and realization of their smooth reintegration into society, and clarifies that the principle of individualization of treatment should be adopted. Under this principle, most appropriate treatment is to be provided to each inmate according to his/her disposition and environment.
  As the core of inmate treatment, the idea of correctional treatment was newly introduced and three types of treatment, i.e. "work," "rehabilitation guidance," and "academic guidance," have come to be implemented. The Act on Treatment of Sentenced Inmates requires inmates to receive correctional treatment along with guidance upon commencement of execution of sentence and guidance prior to release. Correctional treatment is now clearly defined in the legal system.

  Based on the principle of individualization of treatment, correctional treatment is implemented according to treatment guidelines created for respective inmates. In addition to this, new systems were introduced for treatment programs for inmates' rehabilitation so as to further enhance inmate treatment.

  General rehabilitation guidance and special rehabilitation guidance were established for rehabilitation guidance (see Part 2, Chapter 4, Section 2, 3 (1)).
  Special rehabilitation guidance has the following six types: "guidance for withdrawing from drug dependency," "guidance for breaking away from Boryokudan groups," "guidance for preventing repeat sexual offenses," "education from victims' viewpoints," "guidance for traffic safety," and "guidance for supporting employment." For these types of guidance, standard programs are presented, and each designated institution establishes practical programs based on them, taking into consideration the characteristics of inmates, regional characteristics, and available social resources, and carries out concrete guidance (for "guidance for preventing repeat sexual offenses," see Chapter 4, Section 4, 1 of this Part).

  Work by commuting to outside work sites is a system where inmates imprisoned with work or without work who meet certain requirements such as having spent the necessary period for being released on parole are allowed to commute to ordinary work sites outside penal institutions without being accompanied by institution staff to work or receive vocational training conducted by such work sites. This aims for their smooth reintegration into society (see Part 2, Chapter 4, Section 2, 2 (1)).
  Through such work, those inmates are expected to obtain skills that they would never be able to obtain only by engaging in work at penal institutions, and learn ways to form proper relationships in general society.

  Outing and staying out overnight is a system to allow inmates who meet certain requirements such as having spent the necessary period for being released on parole to temporarily go outside penal institutions without being accompanied by institution staff when they need to do certain business. Outing should be a one-day trip and staying out overnight should be within seven days. Certain businesses include cases where it is necessary to have talks with a person outside institutions for hours so as to ensure a dwelling place or working place after release or maintain or arrange family relationships, or cases where it is necessary to visit a volunteer probation officer or others related to rehabilitation.
  This system is expected to contribute to rehabilitation of inmates by providing them with opportunities to get ready for smooth transition to life after release.

  The Progressive Treatment System which was conducted under the Prison Act was abolished and the system for easing of restrictions and preferential measures was newly adopted.
  Easing of restrictions is the system to gradually ease restrictions on inmates' daily life and actions according to their willingness to rehabilitate themselves and their capability to adapt themselves to social life in order to prompt them to acquire initiative and autonomy.
  Preferential measures aim to encourage inmates to make further efforts for their own rehabilitation by granting better deals to inmates who are leading a sober life, such as increasing the times of external communications or expanding the scope of articles they can use to their cost according to their attitude for a certain period of time.