Taiwan | Control Yuan Inspects Correctional Facilities to Ensure Compliance with the Convention against Torture

The Control Yuan Committee on Judicial and Prison Administration Affairs headed on an inspection visit to three facilities, Kaohsiung Second Prison, Ming Yang High School and Kaohsiung Drug Abuser Treatment Center, administered by the Agency of Corrections under the Ministry of Justice on April 26, 2019.

The delegation focused on a range of matters covered in the two covenants, including solitary confinement, freedom of expression and freedom to communicate, the complaint filing system, fair work and remuneration for prisoners, over-capacity detention facilities, prevention of violence and investigation of death in prison, medical care and management, use of instruments of restraint, treatment of juveniles in correction, and correctional facility human resources.

During the inspection visit forum, the committee convener explained that the visit to the correctional facilities was part of preparations ahead of enactment of the draft “Act on the Implementation of the Convention Against Torture,” which the Executive Yuan sent to the Legislative Yuan last December. The draft bill stipulates that the Control Yuan shall establish a committee on the prevention of torture and inhumane treatment and shall conduct inspections of prisons and other correctional facilities. It also states the CY shall be responsible for following up on investigations related to violations of the two covenants by correctional facilities, including juvenile justice institutions, as well as for proposing corrective measures and recommending improvements for violating facilities and agencies.

During the inspection visits, the committee members also listened to briefings by the inspected facilities as well as the Agency of Corrections. Afterward, they expressed their support for the transformation of two former juvenile detention centers into correctional schools (one of them being Min Yang High School) as they now provide regular schooling to nearly a thousand juvenile offenders every year, thereby upholding these youths’ right to education. The committee members showed their concern for the proper treatment and education of juvenile offenders as well as proper medical care for physically and/or mentally challenged youth offenders. They also instructed that the facilities’ complaint filing systems, remuneration for work by prisoners, and prison management training should be up to standards. In addition, they called for improvements to identity recognition systems at youth detention facilities.

The draft “Act on the Implementation of the Convention Against Torture” stipulates that the Control Yuan is responsible for regularly inspecting any facility under the government’s jurisdiction or control where detained persons could be deprived of their rights. The CY conducted on-site inspections to the Yilan Detention Center and Yilan Prison last year and will continue with inspections to detention facilities.

Please refer to the downloads section to read the full article about the inspection conducted.

Source: Control Yuan, Taiwan