Section 2 Treatment of Sentenced Inmates

The Act on Penal Detention Facilities and the Treatment of Inmates and Detainees (Act No. 50 of 2005) stipulates treatment of inmates, aiming to stimulate their motivation for reformation and rehabilitation and foster their ability to adapt to living in society, by addressing their sense of consciousness, in accordance with their ages, individual characteristics, and circumstances, while simultaneously respecting their human rights.

On June 1, 2025, pursuant to the Act Partially Amending the Penal Code, etc. (Act No. 67 of 2022), the penalties of imprisonment with work and imprisonment without work were abolished, and a new category of imprisonment was established for the purpose of facilitating the reformation and rehabilitation of inmates. This made it possible to implement treatment that flexibly combines work and guidance according to the characteristics of individual inmates, rather than uniformly mandating work for all inmates. Furthermore, penal detention was also stipulated to allow for the provision of necessary work or guidance, similar to that of imprisonment.