'I wouldn't do your job': Inmates pity Korean prison officers as dire conditions test their resolve - The Korea Times

Cheongju Women’s Prison, the only women’s correctional facility in North Chungcheong Province, remains lit around the clock on July 22. Korea Times photo by Jo So-jin

At Cheongju Women’s Prison, silence never lasts long.

A sharp beep cut through the quiet, and a two-way radio crackled to life. An urgent voice came through.

“Code One in Unit 4. Backup requested.”

Code One meant an altercation. The urgent call over the prison officer’s radio was immediately followed by a flurry of other transmissions. Beep. “Unit 1, inmate 6128 en route to a legal visit.” Beep. “Unit 2 returning from exercise.”