2026 Career Competency Development Program for Lower-Year Students at the INU School of Law

- Students Tour Incheon Detention Center and Try Correctional Safety Equipment… Career Information Session Sparks Active Discussion

- Criminal Justice Procedures Previously Studied in Textbooks Come to Life Through Firsthand Experience

Students from the School of Law at Incheon National University (INU), led by President Injae Lee, visited the Incheon Detention Center on October 2 for a special opportunity to tour a correctional facility and learn firsthand about the duties and career paths of correctional officers.

The visit was organized as part of the “2026 Career Competency Development Program for Lower-Year College Students,” jointly conducted by INU's School of Law and Career Development Center. Approximately 25 participants, including law students and teaching assistants, took part in the program.

During the visit, students toured detention housing units and major facilities that are generally inaccessible to the public, gaining a firsthand understanding of correctional institutions. The experience allowed them to observe how inmate management and correctional administration, which they had previously encountered only through laws and institutional frameworks in the classroom, operate in practice.

Students also received explanations about the purposes and proper use of correctional safety equipment, including restraint ropes, and had the opportunity to try on some of the equipment themselves. By experiencing equipment used in actual correctional settings, they gained a more concrete understanding of the responsibilities of correctional officers in managing inmates and maintaining safety.

A distinctive feature of the program was that it went beyond a simple facility tour.

The subsequent career information session provided detailed explanations of correctional officers' day-to-day responsibilities, organizational work environments, recruitment and appointment procedures, and preparation strategies. In particular, students actively engaged in the question-and-answer session, raising numerous questions about careers in corrections.

“What duties do correctional officers perform most frequently?” “How does a law degree help in correctional work?” and “What should university students begin preparing for if they want to become correctional officers?” were among the questions raised. As students expressed strong interest in career opportunities and actual working conditions, the session developed into an interactive discussion between students and practicing correctional officers.

Through answers based on the officers' professional experiences, students gained a more realistic understanding of correctional duties, working environments, and career preparation. The session also encouraged them to consider specific roles that law graduates can play in correctional administration and public safety.

The visit was particularly meaningful in allowing law students to experience the difference between studying the law and understanding how it is enforced in practice.

By observing the procedures and systems through which concepts such as detention, incarceration, and corrections—previously studied in criminal law courses—are implemented in actual correctional facilities, students gained a more comprehensive understanding of the criminal justice system.

Professor Kim Ho, Dean of the School of Law at Incheon National University, stated, “I hope this visit to the Incheon Detention Center helped students experience firsthand how the legal knowledge they acquire from textbooks is applied in real criminal justice settings.”

He added, “We will continue to expand opportunities for students to visit institutions closely related to legal studies, including courts, investigative agencies, and correctional facilities. By strengthening field-based career education, we aim to help students explore diverse career paths in the legal and public sectors from the early years of their university studies and develop their own career plans.”