The Endless Road to Reintegration ❼: Hsiao-Ting's Story

For a person released on parole, life can feel like carrying a fragile porcelain vase: one lapse in judgment can have consequences that cannot be undone.

Hsiao-Ting is in his forties. More than two decades ago, he was sentenced to life imprisonment under the Statute for the Punishment of Banditry. He worked hard to improve himself in prison and, after repeated parole applications, was finally released in 2011 after 15 years behind bars. After release, he cared for his seriously ill father and opened a foot-massage and wellness shop to support himself. One night, after drinking, he intervened in what he thought was an argument, rode after the people involved to confront them, and was convicted of drunk driving. His parole was revoked. Hsiao-Ting is now back in prison, facing at least another 25 years behind bars.

A Glass of Whiskey, a Misunderstanding, a Lifetime Behind Bars

Late one night in September 2017, after arguing with his girlfriend, Hsiao-Ting had a glass of whiskey while feeling depressed. When his girlfriend tried to leave, he followed her outside. Then he heard a woman behind him shout, "Don't!" Turning around, he saw a man and woman pulling at each other. Thinking instinctively that a robbery might be taking place, Hsiao-Ting shouted, "What are you doing?" and argued with the man. The woman then explained that the man was her friend and that the two were simply having a disagreement. As they left, the man apparently made another provocative gesture. Still angry, Hsiao-Ting got on his scooter and followed them, and a collision occurred. Police who arrived at the scene measured his breath-alcohol concentration at 0.34 mg/L. He was convicted of drunk driving and sentenced to two months in prison. Once his parole was revoked, he was left facing imprisonment for much of the rest of his life.

One Reckless Moment: A Drifting Young Man Turns to Crime

More than twenty years earlier, in 1996, Hsiao-Ting was 24 and worked installing drainage pipes at construction sites. He had a steady income, but in his youth most evenings after work were spent drinking and talking with friends and coworkers. He describes those years simply as a life of "bright lights and nightlife." After a traffic accident left him facing a dispute and repair costs he could not afford even after taking an advance on his wages, he panicked. The day before he was supposed to repay the repair shop, he drank, acted impulsively, and broke into a home to steal. When the homeowners discovered him, he cut the male victim with a knife in an attempt to stop them from calling police and had nonconsensual sexual intercourse with the female victim. The court found that he had committed serious offenses, but took into account that he bandaged the male victim's wound at the scene, later settled with the victims and received their forgiveness, and had been young and had acted recklessly while intoxicated. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.

More Than 5,000 Days of Starting Over from the Heart

Burdened by guilt toward the victims and mindful of his family's advice, Hsiao-Ting decided to begin again in prison and not disappoint them a second time. He enrolled in the business program at Hung-Te Supplementary School and continued his studies through National Open University, finishing first in his class in both semesters. Encouraged by correctional staff and instructors, he absorbed every opportunity to learn: English, writing, meditation, computer skills, and a Class C software-applications certification. His family's financial support, letters, and regular visits gave him a strong sense of trust and connection. Prison outreach groups also became an important source of emotional support. "What I remember most was a performance by a group of people with ALS. They endured their own physical suffering and still traveled from prison to prison to care about people who had harmed society," he recalled. If they could do that despite illness, he thought, shouldn't he do something with the healthy body he still had? He became even more determined to change. After more than a dozen parole applications, Hsiao-Ting was finally released in July 2010, stepping out of a 15-year confinement into a society that had become unfamiliar.

Walking Back into the Sunlight

After release, Hsiao-Ting did administrative work at a family business, helped maintain the family orchard, and cared for his seriously ill father, traveling between home and the hospital each week. In his spare time he often got massages and paid close attention to the therapists' techniques, hoping to use them to help ease his father's muscle stiffness. He later worked at a foot-massage and wellness shop, obtained a professional bodywork certification, and eventually opened a shop of his own. When he talks about the customers he served there, he speaks with gratitude-and with gratitude for having been given another chance to contribute to society.

One customer he remembers especially well was a woman who sold wheel cakes. Her husband had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and often needed massages for his arms and legs. Remembering the encouragement he had received in prison and the inspiration of the ALS outreach group, Hsiao-Ting decided to provide the massages free of charge. The man died not long afterward, but helping him-and later joining volunteer massage activities organized by religious groups-helped Hsiao-Ting gradually find a sense of value and belonging in society.

A glass of whiskey and an attempt to intervene in someone else's argument upended the stable life Hsiao-Ting had rebuilt and led to the revocation of his parole. He is now back in prison, his longing for his family like a thin thread holding him above despair. He is no longer young, yet the prison term ahead of him is far longer than the one he already served: 25 years, an almost unimaginable expanse of time. How many other people remain trapped in the same mire, unseen?