Hotel-like Prison Opens for Business

What should a prison be like?
Endless high walls with intermittent watchtowers with armed guards, enclosing dark, soulless buildings. However, a totally new concept in prisons opened on March 18.
Taegu Prison is a 10-floor building that looks very much like an apartment building at first glance.
There are TVs, and a central controlled heating system also enables inmates to lead a relatively comfortable existence.
With its wide windows, they can enjoy a view of the outside world as well. An electronic sensor system has replaced a watchtower and sentinel.
In a word, the 1300 convicts at Taegu Prison are taking delight in the 'National Hotel'.
Some officials from the Ministry of Construction and Transportation pinpointed that the building is too luxurious for convicts when it was first proposed.
One of the main reasons for a high-rise prison was an acute shortage of sites in the urban area.
Experts predict this kind of style in detention facilities will increase.
Hwashik Bong ; trojans@joongang.co.kr