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Low-income earners convicted of petty crime could pay less than half the current fines and crackdowns on destitute unlicensed street vendors will be put on hold to take account of hard economic times. The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Public Administration and Security announced the measures at the Central Government Complex in Seoul on Tuesday.
Low-income earners including those on welfare will pay half or a third the current fines or will see their indictment suspended for petty crimes they have committed to support their family. If they have no money, they can pay the fines in installments or later without necessarily going to jail.
Prosecutors and police will be flexible to minimize the burden on the poorest. Until the economy recovers, they will suspend crackdowns on petty violations of laws, and will make the most of mail, fax, or telephones when receiving depositions so that suspects will not suffer loss of earnings due to interrogations.
The government will open a support center for applicants for individual credit rehabilitation or bankruptcy, which can handle up to 5,000 such cases a year, in May next year.
With the approach of Christmas, parole regulations for the needy and underprivileged will also be eased, leading to the release of some 1,300 prisoners on Dec. 24, more than double the monthly average of 600. Those released on parole will include destitute people convicted of petty crimes, and elderly and physically handicapped inmates.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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