The Agency of Corrections, Ministry of Justice appointed Yunlin Prison to conduct the “2020 Observation Meeting of the Progressive Correction, Rehabilitation and Transition of the Drug Offenders with Scientific Evidence” at the Sun Hao International Hotel in Douliu City, Yunlin County, on December 11, 2020.

Tsai Ching-hsiang, Minister of Justice attended the meeting in person and made an encouragement by quoting “Anti-drug is the government's first priority” by President Tsai. He also mentioned that the new drug offenders have been effectively reduced with the teamwork and the prevention advocacy by the six major anti-drug agencies and related ministries like Prosecution Offices and the Coast Guard Administration will. For how to deal with drug recidivism effectively, he deeply expected that the colleagues of the first line of execution to strive for excellence and to cooperate with each other across profession and fields and to find out effective solutions when facing difficulties so as to keep the drug offenders truly away from drugs for life, which can really satisfy the anticipation of the public. Minister Tsai also appreciated all the agencies of corrections for the epidemic prevention that they effectively prevented and stopped the epidemic COVID-19 with their restless and strict protection.

Mr. Huang, the Director the Agency of Corrections, also said that in recent years, the way of correction had changed from negative imprisonment to a positive rehabilitation, and that the whole crime progressive correction should be promoted with the purpose of the rehabilitation so as to move towards the modernization of criminal policy, the progressive correction from the naturalization of human beings and the scientific and technologicalization of facilities. The Agency of Corrections has been also continuously seeking supplement of the professional manpower such as psychologists, social workers, and case managers, strengthening the drug offenders’ progressive correction, actively deepen links with the units of labor, health and social affairs so as to assist drug offenders to successfully return to the society. In addition, Mr. Tsai, the Ministry of Justice, also focused especially on the rehabilitation of the inmates so that they are able to be adapted to social life earlier and to promote the independent open prison system of the inmates in the agencies of corrections. From which there are currently about 1,100 people working outside the prison during the day in preparation for returning to the society. The promotion of this policy has been deeply supported and appreciated by all sectors of society and the families of the inmates.

In addition to the effectiveness report about the progressive correction of the drug offenders in every agency of corrections in Taiwan by Dai Sheng-feng, the Professor of National Chung Cheng University, as well as the effectiveness reports about the progressive correction and promotion of results by the detention centers in Taipei, Hualien and by the prisons in Taichung, Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan, the meeting were attended by the labor administration, social affairs, health, psychologists, social workers' associations and other relevant units, and the senior psychologists, social workers, Professor Yang Shu-lung and other external experts and scholars of the agencies of corrections, to conduct a theoretical and practical discussion. With the observation meeting, every agency of correction could learn from others’ teaching and showed the determination and centrism of the agencies of corrections about the drug offenders’ progressive correction so as to reduce the recidivism to keep the society safe and sound by building a dense social safety net.