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Taiwan Opens Prisons to the Public

By Jeralyn, Section Death Penalty
Posted on Mon Aug 09, 2004 at 12:53:15 PM EST
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Fascinating. Taiwan is opening its prisons to the public. And, planning on ending the death penalty.

On May 2, 2001, Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (陳定南) vowed to replace the death penalty with life sentences during a press conference. Since his promise was made, the total number of death row inmates has fallen....The latest statistics show there have been no new death row inmates since this January, a new record.

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng endorsed Chen's proposal, but said that the death penalty should continue until a well-organized amendment to the law is established and passed. "We are moving to abolish executions and I agree it is the right thing to do," Wang said. "But at this moment, we should be more sensitive and careful; it does not mean we can give [the death penalty] up immediately."

Taiwan wants the public to see the state of its prisons:

Huang said that most people think prisons are dark and dirty places where inmates are not treated as human beings. "This is incorrect. Come visit us and you will realize that what you see in the movies should remain in the movies," Huang said.

Death Row will not be open. But the article details the statistics and provides a graphic portrayal of the procedures:

According to statistics from the ministry, 157 inmates have been executed since 1996. Most of these were for convictions on charges such as murder, kidnapping, robbing, rape, blackmail and drug dealing. The same statistics show that all 157 of the executed inmates were males, 64 percent had criminal records and 42 percent of them were aged between 30 and 40.

....In Taiwan, executions are carried out by prison guards. The guards kill the inmates by shooting, aiming at the inmate's heart. Executions usually take place close to dawn. Guards rouse the prisoner who is to be executed and take
him to the "location."

Before taking these last steps, the inmate ties a few thousand-dollar bills to his shackles. Tradition says that this money, and the shackles of the executed prisoner, will bring good luck to his fellow inmates on death row. The shackles are therefore very popular among the rest of the inmates, who believe that the restraints of their former prison mate will help them win an appeal, offering a chance to escape death.

Once at the execution ground, the inmate is first identified by a prosecutor. Then, the prosecutor will ask whether the inmate has a final wish. Finally, a "last meal" -- usually a bottle of strong alcohol, a bowl of rice and three dishes or so -- will be served.

After the meal, a forensic scientist will provide the option of an anesthetic. When the inmate passes out completely, guards position the prisoner on the ground, face down, and shoot him directly in the heart. An exception may be made, however, if the inmate is an organ donor, in which case the guards won't shoot for the heart.

After the shots have been fired, the law enforcement officials present wait a few minutes to make sure the inmate is dead. If the person is still alive, at that point the guards must fire a second shot. Sometimes, inmates may struggle after being shot; some have even regained consciousness and stared at the guards. If that happens, the prosecutors immediately assign another group of guards to continue the execution. This is because execution ground tradition says that the ghost of an executed prisoner will follow the man who shot him if he has looked the man in the eye before dying.

[Update: Ed. Thanks to the astute commenters who alerted us to the need to change "China" to "Taiwan." I've done so.]

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