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Starting September, low-income earners will be allowed to carry out community service including volunteer work at nursing homes without having to serve prison terms if they cannot pay their fines. A special law passed by the National Assembly will come into effect in September, the Justice Ministry said on Tuesday, to permit this for fines of less than W3 million (US$1=W1,550)
A ministry official pointed out this applies only to offenders in severely straitened circumstances.
According to the ministry, 1.27 million, or 94 percent, of 1.35 million offenders who are fined every year are fined less than W3 million but about 32,000 are jailed because they cannot pay.
In a ministry survey of prison inmates who have failed to pay fines, 92 percent of respondents say they would prefer community services over labor in prison.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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