Inmates Sue State Claiming Mental Distress Over Overcrowded Prisons, Court Rules Against Them

Inmates who filed a lawsuit for damages against the state, citing overcrowding in correctional facilities, have lost their case.

Although the plaintiffs argued that they suffered mental distress due to a lack of sufficient living space, the court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support these claims.

The Incheon District Court dismissed the lawsuit filed by 24 inmates, including a person identified as A, who had sought 39.5 million won in damages from the Republic of Korea.

The court also ordered the plaintiffs to bear the costs of the litigation.

The inmates, including A, claimed that they were confined in spaces of less than 2 square meters per person, which they argued failed to meet basic living standards and caused them mental distress.

While the court acknowledged that a certain level of restriction on fundamental rights is inevitable when the state detains individuals in correctional facilities, it established a standard that such restrictions cannot be allowed to reach a level that undermines human dignity.

The court further specified that, unless there are special circumstances—such as unavoidable short-term overcrowding due to a temporary surge in the inmate population—overcrowding itself constitutes a violation of an inmate's dignity.

Regarding specific criteria for illegality, the court stated, "If the floor area per inmate is less than 2 square meters, it exceeds the tolerable limit and is considered unlawful."

However, in this particular case, the court found that there was a lack of evidence to support the plaintiffs' claims.

The court explained the reason for the dismissal, stating, "Even considering all the evidence, including the results of fact-finding inquiries regarding the heads of each correctional facility, there is insufficient evidence to recognize the plaintiffs' claims of overcrowding."

Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Choi Kang-san | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.