Review of Harmony: What Happens to Them After Punishment?

During my brief internship at the Judicial Reform Foundation, my perspective on Taiwan's prison administration was greatly broadened. Like the general public, I previously believed that inmates were simply paying for their own mistakes and deserved to be locked away for rehabilitation. Even while studying criminal law and clearly knowing that Taiwan's system focuses on correction and helping them reintegrate into society, emotionally I often felt sentences were not heavy enough. Killing someone and receiving only five to ten years felt like getting off easy, and going to prison just meant eating and drinking for free. However, on my very first day here, I began reading letters sent by inmates. I often believe that words are a bridge touching the chords of human hearts. Through their handwriting—some crooked, some flowing—they poured out their genuine emotions as human beings. From that moment on, they were no longer just a name or a string of numbers to me. After trying to understand an individual inmate through the details of their case, they began to take shape in my mind. The five- or ten-year prison sentences weighing on their shoulders were no longer just numbers, but their youth and time. I also learned from the JRF's wrongful conviction rescue work that many inmates are sent to prison without receiving a fair trial. In reality, there are still many incompetent and corrupt judicial personnel within our judicial system. For a student like me stepping out of the utopian world of textbooks and into reality, this was undoubtedly a shocking practical lesson.

Later, through the JRF's promotional materials, interviews with moral guidance volunteers, and the movie Harmony, I clearly came to realize one thing: inmates are also citizens who will one day return to society. In the past, I often thought that the punishment should fit the crime, and serving time in prison was just deserts. But I had never actually understood their lives in prison, where they often cannot support themselves and barely manage to survive. The tragedy of it is unimaginable to those of us breathing free air, as evidenced by meager labor remuneration, difficulties in seeking medical treatment, and poor environmental hygiene. Yet their rights are often the least valued by society. I can understand why everyone, including the inmates themselves, believes that going to prison is meant as punishment and life shouldn't be too comfortable; however, these rights necessary to maintain basic living functions should still be valued. This is one of the conceptual changes brought to me by my internship at the JRF.

Secondly, this made me clearly realize that rather than punishment, how to correct offenders and ensure their smooth reintegration into society upon release is a more crucial issue. Most of the skills learned inside correctional institutions consist of folding paper bags. In today's rapidly changing society, how can we expect someone who has spent the past five or ten years folding paper bags to have the ability to support themselves after release?

Consequently, most choose to return to their old ways, and the recidivism rate remains high. I also learned from interviews that rehabilitated persons carry an indelible label in society. Because they must report regularly to correctional institutions, they cannot work ordinary office jobs, and delivery work requires a police criminal record certificate. In the end, they are left with only odd jobs, and if discovered to be former offenders, they may face rejection and be denied employment. I believe that rehabilitated persons are simply people who have made a mistake; surely a single mistake should not mean spending the rest of one's life hanging one's head in shame and unable to work to support a family! Therefore, I believe that more comprehensive vocational training is also necessary.

The high-profile junior high school student murder case that previously shocked society also drew public attention to the Juvenile Justice Act. In the past, when the victim's family called the Juvenile Justice Act an "evil law," I felt utter despair. I had always believed that laws should establish uniform provisions, so when encountering extreme examples, I always felt helpless, thinking that the law was powerless in many situations. However, I learned from interviews with moral guidance volunteers just how inadequate our country's corrective measures for juvenile offenders are, with the most that can be done being community service and point deductions. I am perplexed as to how this can successfully correct their deviant behavior, so laws must keep pace with the times.

I also learned that the quality of legislation matters. The operation of legal practice is like thousands of gears turning simultaneously, with every link closely interlocked. Previously, because lawmakers considered certain provisions inappropriate, they abolished them outright—such as the draft amendments to the Prison Act in 2025, which abolished the original progressive treatment system while lacking any supporting complementary measures. Instead, this leaves frontline operators at a loss, causing massive difficulties and confusion in practical operations. This is also an issue in Taiwan's prison administration and legislation that deserves attention and visibility.

Finally, the aforementioned is merely the tip of the iceberg regarding Taiwan's prison administration and legal issues that I observed during my internship. I deeply realized that changing a system that has existed in Taiwan for many years is no easy task, and the JRF is doing its utmost to make efforts and provide help. I believe the core issue is the Correctional Administration's insufficient funding, leaving prisons without enough capital to guarantee the basic living standards inmates deserve, let alone more ideal correctional activities. I think these are matters that the government needs to lead and promote, but the beginning of action should be the public's understanding of these issues. Whether it is basic legal education or the realistic plight of inmates, this is information the public needs to know. Only by making them truly understand and raising human rights awareness can we support the government in promoting such legislation, truly help those who have once made mistakes successfully reintegrate into society, and allow society to develop in a positive direction.