本文探討我國外役監的定位，考察其設置的目的。本文就開放處遇區別為兩種：第一種是針對受刑人的個別處遇所為的開放處遇；第二種是中間監獄式開放處遇。本文透過歷史考察的方式發現，政府雖然不斷地有意擴大外役監人數，減少封閉處遇，但是對於外役監受刑人遴選是以社會較可以接受的「模範受刑人」概念出發，究竟是以個別處遇或是中間處遇為定位，仍在擺盪中。比較法的部分，本文並考察日本與韓國開放處遇設施制度，日本開放處遇設施較著重在第一種類型開放處遇，韓國則結合第一種類型與第二種類型開放處遇。藉由這樣的比較，以作為我國外役監定位之參考。

This article explores the position of our country's open prison and investigates the purpose of the prison camp. This article distinguishes two types of open treatment: the first is the open treatment for individual treatment of inmates; the second is the open treatment for intermediate treatment. Through a historical investigation, this article finds that although the government is continuously intending to expand the numbers of open prison, the selection of inmates is based on the concept of “model inmates” that is more acceptable to society. It is still swinging that the position of the open prison is going to type1 or type2 open treatment. Furthermore, using a comparative-law perspective, this article also examines the open treatment facility in Japan and South Korea. Japan’s open treatment facilities focus more on the first type of open treatment, while South Korea combines the first type and the second type of open treatment. With this comparison, it proposes a reference for the positioning of the open prison.