The Endless Road to Reintegration ❻: Hsiao-Sun's Story

On the isolated islands of Penghu, the rough sea winds seem to echo the turbulence in Hsiao-Sun's life.

When he was young, Hsiao-Sun began using drugs under the influence of friends. On one occasion, after obtaining drugs and preparing to leave, he encountered police. Trying to flee and destroy the evidence, he threw the drugs away and backed his vehicle into an officer. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

After he was incarcerated, his family's care and encouragement never stopped. His parents, already in their eighties and in declining health, still insisted on visiting every week. "Don't keep coming-it's too much trouble!" he would tell them. Each visit lasted only half an hour, but his elderly mother treasured that brief time. The pain behind her tears stayed with Hsiao-Sun on the other side of the bars. His family's love convinced him that he needed to change. He worked regularly in the prison workshop, cooperated with correctional programs, and actively pursued parole without incurring disciplinary demerits. After serving ten years, he was granted parole.

Turbulence on the Road Back to Freedom

Hsiao-Sun cherished his freedom. He watched his words and actions carefully and stayed away from drugs. He had heard of many people whose parole was revoked after drunk-driving offenses, so he stopped drinking altogether as well. He wanted to live cautiously and steadily, avoiding any accident or conflict that might send him back.

While on parole, Hsiao-Sun took occasional air-conditioning repair jobs and cared for his elderly parents. His 93-year-old father's health deteriorated after an unsuccessful foot operation. The family tried moving him to a nursing home in the hope that he would receive better care, but as his physical condition declined, his emotional state became increasingly unstable. He resisted the nursing home and even expressed suicidal thoughts. Alongside the pressure of earning a living, Hsiao-Sun absorbed his father's distress, cared for him closely, and regularly took him to medical appointments. He had made serious mistakes in the past; now he wanted only to be a dependable son.

On December 26, 2017, Hsiao-Sun took his father to Penghu Hospital for a follow-up appointment. His 93-year-old father was hard of hearing and did not understand the disability-assessment process, so he repeatedly asked the doctor questions. As the doctor spoke more and more harshly to his father, Hsiao-Sun became upset and argued with him. The doctor at one point told them to leave the consultation room. Still angry, Hsiao-Sun called his brother, who worked as a legislative assistant, to ask him to come understand the situation. The doctor believed Hsiao-Sun's words amounted to a threat and filed a criminal complaint.

Article 106, Paragraph 3 of the Medical Care Act provides: "A person who, by violence, coercion, intimidation, or other unlawful means, obstructs medical personnel or emergency medical personnel in the performance of medical or emergency-care duties shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than three years and may also be fined up to NT$300,000." The provision is intended to prevent violence against medical personnel. No one disputes the difficult work performed by doctors and other healthcare workers.

Hsiao-Sun ultimately settled with the doctor and published an apology in a newspaper. After the judgment, he promptly paid the fine and believed the matter was over. It was not.

The Weight of a Judgment

"Two months in prison. Parole revoked. Serve the remainder of the original sentence." The appellate court affirmed the conviction, and Hsiao-Sun received notice that his parole had been revoked. In a few words, years of effort were wiped away. In addition to the new two-month sentence, he would have to return to prison and serve the remainder of the sentence from his earlier case.

"When I went to prison for drugs the first time, I really had done something wrong. I believed I deserved punishment. After I was paroled, I was careful every day. I stayed out of physical conflicts, quit drinking, and quit drugs. I can't accept that because I stood up for my father, everything I did to return to society can simply be erased. This system is grossly disproportionate."

The notice of parole revocation sent Hsiao-Sun's life into free fall. He was forced from ordinary life back behind bars, away from sunlight and hope. Loss, grief, and resistance overwhelmed him. He began to give up on himself. He had prepared to rebuild his life and care for his parents, but the parole-revocation system pushed him into despair. He returned to drugs, seeking escape from a reality he believed was profoundly disproportionate.

Hope Taken Away by the Law

A judge's gavel may strike the bench lightly, but the two-month sentence landed heavily on Hsiao-Sun's life and on a family that still needed him. His 93-year-old father and 84-year-old mother were still at home waiting for him. This time, however, even the hope of seeing their son one day sooner had been taken away.

"If I ever leave prison, I want to go home and take care of my elderly parents." Even behind bars, his thoughts remain with them. His eyes show helplessness and resignation. Losing his freedom again also cost him much of the motivation that had driven his reintegration. His worries about his parents can now be carried only into brief weekly visits across glass and through a telephone handset. The physical distance is small, yet the distance from home-and from returning to society-feels immense. Deprived of his freedom, he can only watch his mother cry from the other side.

Revoking parole may take away more than a person's freedom. It can also take away the ability to imagine a future-and the last remaining hope of building a life.