According to legal sources on June 10, the Ministry implemented this change starting the previous day, adjusting the number of simultaneous visits based on the conditions of each correctional institution. At the Seoul Detention Center, lawyers can now reserve visits for a maximum of three inmates at the same time, while other facilities will set limits according to their available visiting room capacity.
Previously, a lawyer could schedule visits for multiple inmates at the same time. For example, if a lawyer requested simultaneous visits for five inmates between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m., the correctional facility would reserve five visiting rooms for that time slot.
However, if the first inmate's visit took longer than expected, there was no way to prevent the lawyer from exceeding their scheduled time, resulting in other inmates waiting in the visiting room. Lawyers with subsequent appointments had to wait until the first lawyer completed their visit.
Additionally, the Ministry found that if a lawyer scheduled visits for multiple inmates but failed to show up, the inability to cancel reservations exacerbated the shortage of visiting rooms.
However, the Ministry of Justice has made exceptions for public defenders and others who need to meet with multiple inmates, allowing them to inquire in advance with the correctional institution for special arrangements.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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