Taiwan opens new detention center to ease overcrowding

The Changhua Detention Center has officially opened its new facility in Erlin Township, marking a significant upgrade aimed at easing severe overcrowding in Taiwan's correctional system. The relocation project, which cost NT$3.5 billion (approximately $107 million USD), dramatically increases the center's capacity from 312 to 1,500 inmates.

Established in 1968 in Yuanlin City, the original detention center suffered from aging infrastructure and insufficient space. The government approved the relocation plan in 2018, with construction commencing in July 2020. The new facility, spanning 7.7 hectares, was completed late last year and the inmates were transferred by the end of March.

Minister of Justice Cheng Ming-chun and Director-General of the Agency of Corrections Lin Hsien-ming presided over the inauguration ceremony. Cheng emphasized that the project's completion, after extensive coordination, will not only improve the living environment for detainees but also enhance correctional quality and management efficiency.

“

The relocation project's completion, after extensive coordination, will not only improve the living environment for detainees but also enhance correctional quality and management efficiency.

Lin highlighted that the new center is designed with the core philosophy of assisting inmates in their successful reintegration into society. It adheres to the United Nations' Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and prison building guidelines. Each inmate is allocated approximately 3.4 square meters of living space. The facility also includes specialized accommodations for the elderly and disabled, educational and counseling areas, and a smart monitoring system to ensure both human rights and security.

The previous Changhua Detention Center housed 490 individuals against its approved capacity of 312, resulting in a 57% over-occupancy rate and extremely cramped conditions. This situation is mirrored in other detention centers in Taiwan's six major cities, which face even more severe overcrowding.

“

The new detention center is designed with the core philosophy of assisting inmates in their successful reintegration into society. It adheres to the United Nations' Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and prison building guidelines.