What is the process of admitting a new inmate?

New inmates are processed as follows upon arrival:

1. Required documents for admission to a prison (detention center), such as escort warrant, execution instruction, detention letter or referral letter, and new inmate’s identification paper are examined to make sure they are correct.
2. The body, clothing and personal items of the new inmate are elaborately searched . If necessary, urine sample may be taken and technical equipment may be used to aid the examination. Except for permissible personal items that may be kept by inmates inside the facility, other items such as money, valuable items and restricted or banned items shall be placed under the custody of the correctional facility or retrieved by inmate’s relatives.
3. Physical examination will be conducted to understand inmate’s health conditions (any disease or injury).
4. Inmate is informed of the rules and assigned to his ward after filling out necessary admission documents.

When can a new inmate start purchasing daily supplies inside the correctional facility?

1. Inmates are allowed to buy daily supplies on the day they are admitted to a correctional facility.
2. Correctional facilities provide personal toiletries, daily necessities and clothing for inmates and their relatives to purchase. Inmate’s relatives can purchase those items at the shop inside the visitation room and give them to the inmates through the correctional facility or send money to inmates for them to buy stuff themselves.

What kinds of food and items are offered by correctional facilities? What can be done if they are inadequate?

1. Currently correctional facilities provide three meals, drinking water, uniforms (including a jacket) and public tableware to inmates.
2. When an inmate first arrives at a correctional facility, the facility will dispense basic daily necessities (including underwear, toothbrush, toothpaste, towel, tissue paper and soap, one set each). If the supply is not enough, inmates can ask their relatives to send (bring) them the items or make purchase themselves.
3. Inmates with financial difficulties can apply to the facility for subsidy to buy additional daily supplies.
4. Inmates who urgently need daily necessities may apply to the correctional facility for a loan and return the item in a manner specified by the facility.
5. If an inmate has certain special needs (e.g. artificial limbs, crutches or dentures), he can apply to the facility for permission and the facility will make the purchase on behalf of the inmate, or the inmate’s relatives can send the item through the reception desk or apply for permission to send the package by post. Refer to “6. Sending Money, Food and Supplies to Inmates” about ways to send items to inmates.

What are the rules for bringing items into the correctional facility by inmates upon arrival?

1. Space inside correctional facilities is limited. Thus items that can be brought into a facility by inmates are limited to daily necessities in moderate amount.
2. Money: Inmates in a correctional facility only need to pay for their daily supplies or registration fee and co-payment under National Health Insurance when they see a doctor.Unless they need to purchase electrical appliances, there is no need for inmates to carry a lot of money with them when they are admitted.
3. Medicine: Medicine brought into the correctional facility should be for medical needs and placed in an intact medicine bag that shows hospital diagnosis and prescription. In addition, the medicine must be sealed and come with ingredient description. Medicine will be returned to newly admitted inmates after they have been inspected and assessed by the doctor at the correctional facility.
4. Daily supplies: Personal items, including ID card, underwear, National Health Insurance card, socks, towels, pens, soaps, toothpaste, toothbrush, envelopes, letter paper, tissue paper, books and magazines, and single bed blanket, bed sheet and pillow are allowed to be brought in to the facilities. Special items, such as artificial limbs, artificial eyes and dentures can be used inside the facilities after inspection.
5. All clothes and items brought into the facilities will be inspected according to the following principles:
   1. Inspection is conducted based on dressing integrity and inmate’s needs. Items that may adversely affect the order or security in the facilities, contain contrabands, are not easy to check or cannot be inspected, undergo qualitative change or have their original appearance and functions destroyed after inspection are not allowed to bring into the facilities.
   2. Inmates are not allowed to bring in electrical appliances. However when inmates are transferred from another prison (detention center or school) or returned by a court or prosecutors office, they may resume the use of electrical appliances already in use after changing the tags. .
   3. Clothes, blankets, bed sheets, pillows, socks, towels and similar supplies must be unpacked and soaked in water for inspection purpose.
   4. If items brought in by inmates are found to be illegal, correctional facilities will take action according to laws.

Can adult inmates who are sentenced to prison request to be sent to a correctional facility at the place of their household registration?

In general, adult inmates who are sentenced to prison will be sent to a nearby correctional facility by the commanding prosecutors office in charge of their case in accordance with the “Ministry of Justice Standard for Number of Inmates Held by Each Prison.” Inmates who like to serve their sentence at the place of their household registration can file a request with the commanding prosecutors office before the execution takes place to entrust another prosecutors office to execute the sentence.

If a relative of mine is gravely ill but must serve a sentence, under what conditions will a prison decline to take in such an inmate?

1. A prison may refuse to accept an inmate under any of the following conditions:
   1. There are objective facts adequately showing that the individual lacks cognitive abilities to handle his own affairs due to his physical or mental conditions;
   2. The individual is suffering from an illness that his life may be in danger while under imprisonment;
   3. A female individual is pregnant for more than five months or has given birth less than two months earlier;
   4. The individual suffers from a notifiable disease and his imprisonment may cause cluster infection; or
   5. The individual suffers from senility, physical or mental disability, and cannot take care of himselff in prison.
2. An inmate in any of the conditions above should provide supporting documents, such as certificate of diagnosis, summary of medical record, pathology report or other test report upon arrival for the reference of the correctional facility.
3. Inmates who are not taken in by a facility will be sent to a hospital, placed under the custody of a guardian or sent to other appropriate places at the discretion of the prosecutor.

What if an inmate is suspected of having tuberculosis right before he or she is about to start serving a sentence in prison?

1. An inmate who is suspected of having tuberculosis before he is admitted to prison can apply to the prosecutor for delaying the start of serving a sentence by submitting relevant documentation. However the correctional facility will still admit the inmate if the prosecutor rejects the application.
2. Upon arrival at the prison, an inmate suspected of having tuberculosis should show relevant certificate of diagnosis and TB treatment manual. The facility will arrange doctor’s appointment for the inmate, and follow doctor’s instruction to arrange quarantine or treatment.
3. If an inmate is confirmed to have tuberculosis, the facility may, in view of the inmate’s health condition, report the case to the Agency of Corrections, and after obtaining the Agency’s approval, transfer the inmate to Taichung Prison Pei-De Hospital to receive medical treatment.