A next-generation psychological therapy program that helps inmates reflect on their criminal actions and the situations of their victims through virtual reality (VR) will be officially implemented in correctional facilities nationwide.
On July 30, the Justice Ministry announced the successful completion of a pilot operation for its VR-based psychological therapy program, developed to improve cognitive distortions and reduce aggression among inmates. The program will begin full operation in 11 correctional facilities across the country starting at the end of July.
The newly introduced VR therapy utilizes content tailored to the characteristics of different types of crimes. Inmates will enter virtual environments that simulate the scenes of their offenses, allowing them to experience the fear and pain felt by their victims in a realistic manner. This approach aims to help them objectively recognize and improve their erroneous thoughts and behaviors.
The program is designed to maximize therapeutic effects by combining immersive VR experiences with traditional group therapy, which previously relied on lectures and discussions.
The Justice Ministry has developed specialized VR content for major crime types, including six types of sexual violence, four types of stalking, four types of child abuse, and four types of domestic violence. Following this, a pilot operation was conducted with 392 inmates across nine correctional facilities to compare the effectiveness of the new method with existing treatment approaches.
Results from the pilot operation showed that the group of inmates who participated in VR therapy exhibited significant positive changes in key evaluation metrics compared to those who only received traditional group therapy.
The improvement rate for cognitive distortions that justify criminal behavior was notably higher across all categories: 18.1% for sexual offenders (up from 9.0%), 17.2% for stalkers (up from 7.6%), and 17.1% for child abusers (up from 15.0%).
Aggression and acceptance of violence also saw substantial reductions. The aggression reduction rate for sexual offenders was 14.2%, far exceeding the previous method's 2.4%, while child abusers showed an 11.2% decrease (up from 4.1%).
There was also a significant increase in empathy. Inmates who had previously shown slight decreases in empathy during traditional group therapy—such as stalkers (-0.6%), child abusers (-0.2%), and domestic violence offenders (-2.2%)—demonstrated increases of 7.8%, 2.2%, and 4.4%, respectively, after participating in the VR program.
One inmate remarked, "The scenes were so vivid that it felt like I was back on that day, and it was embarrassing and difficult to confront my past self."
Another inmate convicted of child abuse expressed, "Experiencing the abuse scene made me feel deep remorse for how I treated my son and the fear he must have felt."
Building on these results, the Justice Ministry will officially introduce VR psychological therapy in 11 correctional facilities at the end of July and will continue to analyze operational outcomes to further enhance content tailored to specific crime types.
Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho stated, "VR-based psychological therapy is a new technique that allows inmates to objectively reflect on their distorted thinking and vividly experience the victim's perspective, leading to genuine behavioral change. We will continue to expand scientifically grounded psychological therapy programs to ensure the healthy reintegration of inmates into society and prevent recidivism."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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