Reintegrating Ex-Prisoners in Korea: Institutional Responses and Ex-Prisoners’ Voices

• In Event: Roundtable: Rehabilitation and Reentry in Comparative Perspective - Institutional Practices, Cultural Norms, and Emerging Technologies in Corrections

Abstract

This study explores how the social reintegration of ex-prisoners is approached in Korea through legal frameworks and institutional practices. The structure and operation of existing support systems are examined, with attention to both their accomplishments and persistent shortcomings. Based on a two-year research project, the study incorporates in-depth interviews with ex-prisoners, providing insight into how their perspectives, attitudes, and lived experiences have changed after release compared to during incarceration. These personal accounts help illuminate not only the challenges faced by individuals, but also the broader institutional gaps in reentry support. Drawing on these findings, a set of legal and policy recommendations is proposed to make the reintegration process more effective and better aligned with the real needs of those returning to society after imprisonment.

Author

• Seong-Hoon Park, Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice