Key Activities
would be selected for prisoners’ right to know, and that it would decide how the scores would be
disclosed should there be a request from prisoners.
Excessive use of restraints on a prisoner
On April 2, the Commission recommended the Minister of Justice to ensure that prison guards
accurately fill out the use of physical restraint log, so that the purpose and reason for using a
restraint(s) on prisoners can be verified ex post, and to reduce the time interval until the next log
entry, so that the actual time restraints were used can be observed. It also recommended vocational
training for the petitioned prison guards.
An investigation found that the petitioner was put on physical restraint for approximately five
days, but there was a daily average of only three remarks entered in the log. The remarks were also
very abstract and lacking detail. According to records, the petitioner showed no specific symptoms
or risked doing harm to oneself or others. Nonetheless, three different types of restraint were used
on the petitioner and that for a long time, including bedtime. The Commission concluded that the
continued use of restraints over an extended period of time when no risk of harm to oneself or
others was observed is a violation of the freedom of action.
The Ministry of Justice accepted part of the recommendation. It replied that affiliated institutions
would be required to enter the purpose and reason of restraints with enough specific details—
including a justification for continued use and time of log entry—to verify whether they are
in line with the provisions of Article 97 and Article 98 of the Administration and Treatment of
Correctional Institution Inmates Act. However, the current interval for the next entry of remarks on
the log would be maintained.
D. Multi-person Care Facilities
Mental hospital asks a minor to sign a DNR form for his father
Regarding an incident where a minor child was asked to sign a DNR (Do-not-resuscitate) form
for his father, the Commission on July 5 recommended the director of Hospital A to establish
measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. It also recommended the chief of the district
office of the jurisdiction to enforce rigorous monitoring and oversight of medical institutions in the
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