April 21 – Curtailing outdoor exercise opportunity for prisoners confined in correctional facilities is a violation of human rights, according to the NHRCK.
The NHRCK carried out an inspection visit from Oct. 21 to Nov. 7, 2008 to six high-rise style correctional facilities to investigate the exercise environment for the prisoners: Instead of outdoor gyms located on the roof, most prisoners use small indoor gyms that are not properly equipped with exercising facilities due to limited space.
The NHRCK referred to “Article 21 of the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners” and “Article 49 of the Act on the Execution of Sentence and Treatment of Prisoner” that claim every prisoner who is not employed in outdoor work shall have at least 1 hour per day for suitable exercise in the open air as long as weather permits. “The Constitutional Court concluded that outdoor exercise is a minimum right for the prisoners to keep their physical and psychological health,” added NHRCK.
Accordingly, the NHRCK delivered its opinions to four wardens to implement outdoor exercise for the prisoners, to provide proper exercise facilities and to ensure prisoners’ safety.
The NHRCK will further call on the Minister of Justice to strengthen its support and management for the facilities in implementing outdoor exercise for the prisoners, and to consider prisoners’ rights to exercise outdoors when designing correctional facilities.
* High-rise style correctional facilities have 4 to 12 stories without barbed-wire entanglements or watchtowers.
