NHRC recommends prison grant individual cell to LGBTQ prisoner

(123rf)

The National Human Rights Commission issued a recommendation to a prison warden to come up with new measures to respond to an LGBTQ prisoner’s request to be given an individual cell.

Dismissing the request violates human rights of pursuing happiness, the commission said. The commission refused to provide details on the prisoner's gender or the way in which they were LGBTQ, citing confidentiality.

According to the human rights watchdog, the inmate asked for an individual cell in 2021, explaining that it would be difficult to live with other prisoners. But the request was dismissed, and the prisoner lived with other inmates until February last year.

Instead, the inmate received punishment after repeatedly refusing to enter the assigned cell. This downgraded the inmate’s security level from S3 to S4, the highest alert level where jail visitations and free time are restricted.

In response, the inmate’s friend filed a complaint to the human rights commission, citing that the correctional facility had failed to improve the condition of inmates who identify themselves as sexual minorities and instead resorted to imposing punitive measures.

The prison, however, denied the claim, saying that the inmate had never communicated their LGBTQ status, according to reports. The disciplinary action was issued as the inmate refused to live with cellmates even after being briefed about the jail’s conditions, reports added.

The human rights watchdog claimed that the prison’s decision was an “act that violates human dignity, values and the right to pursue happiness,” adding that it caused unbearable physical and mental suffering.

The NHRC also advised coming up with new measures, urging the prison warden to designate a separate counselor and provide solitary confinement for LGBTQ inmates.

By Park Jun-hee(junheee@heraldcorp.com)