Measures to strengthen the identity and professionalism of social workers in correctional welfare practice

The purpose of this study is to diagnose the identity and professionalism of social workers working in Korean correctional settings and to suggest comprehensive measures for institutionalizing correctional social workers and strengthening their capabilities. Through literature review and comparison of domestic and foreign systems, it was confirmed that the participation of Korean social workers in correctional welfare is very limited due to legal and structural limitations. On the other hand, in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan, correctional social workers are leading the prevention of recidivism and social reintegration as core members of multidisciplinary teams. As a result of the study, it was suggested that the following measures are essential for Korean social workers to strengthen their identity and professionalism as correctional social workers: first, improvement of policies and systems; second, establishment of education, training, and supervision systems; third, strengthening of multidisciplinary and community-based platforms; fourth, establishment of evidence-based practices and performance evaluation indicators; and fifth, establishment of a professional culture based on ethics and values.