Joining Hands with the Community, Empowering Seniors with Vitality

Taitung Prison Combines Compassion and Professionalism to Create a Dignified Care Model for Elderly Inmates

      In response to the aging trend within correctional facilities, Taitung Prison of the Agency of Corrections, Ministry of Justice, held a grand opening ceremony for the “Senior Wellness Workshop” on June 18. This dedicated area, designed exclusively for elderly inmates and combining a care-oriented living space with integrated community resources, is now officially operational. The establishment of this workshop not only actively addresses the challenges posed by an aging prison population, but also serves as a concrete implementation of “care-based incarceration” and “humane treatment.” It represents a significant milestone toward a more diversified, individualized, and integrated approach to prison care policy.

      In his remarks, the Warden pointed out that since Taiwan entered an aging society in 1993, the demographic structure of the prison population has also shifted, resulting in a continuous rise in both the number and proportion of elderly inmates. This group of older inmates often suffers from chronic illnesses, multiple health conditions, and declining physical function, with care needs significantly exceeding those of the general inmate population. However, existing prison facilities are primarily designed for general needs, lacking barrier-free spaces and fall-prevention equipment, and are not configured to be elderly-friendly, thereby presenting challenges in daily self-care and emotional stability.

      In light of this, Taitung Prison has specially established the Senior Wellness Workshop as an independent unit, introducing the concept of care-oriented incarceration and integratively constructing a support space that features both “zoned” management and “dedicated” services. From barrier-free ramps, lift chairs, and seated toilets to hospital beds and hot water systems, all hardware installations have been custom-designed based on the actual needs of elderly individuals.

      Daily schedules and course programming include therapeutic activities such as Ten Hand Exercises, hand drum movement, cognitive board games, personal storybook creation, sign language dance, and laughter yoga, aiming to support cognitive maintenance, physical training, emotional adjustment, and group interaction.

      The establishment of the Senior Wellness Workshop not only provides a safe and dignified living environment, but also builds a substantive transitional platform from “prison care” to “community support.” Through daily health monitoring, case identification, and collaboration with external social workers and long-term care centers, the prison is gradually developing a seamless, cross-sector mechanism to prepare elderly inmates for release. This realizes the correctional goals of “lifelong learning, lifelong usefulness, and lifelong support.”

      Creative works by several inmates vividly illustrate the impact of the workshop. Eighty-one-year-old Mr. Lin created a heart-shaped totem with leaf collages and expressed his wish for “a heart that keeps beating healthily forever,” conveying his longing for the continuation of life.

      Mr. Chang, who has been incarcerated long-term, used the Central Mountain Range as his theme, painting his dream of reaching the summit once again. These creations are not only artistic expressions but also tangible visions of future life and reconstructed life values for elderly inmates.

      Taitung Prison extends special thanks to the Taitung County Government’s Social Affairs Department, the Taitung County Assistive Device and Life Reconstruction Center, and the Yanwan Community Care Center for their professional collaboration and cross-sector cooperation. Their support has ensured that this project aligns closely with the actual needs of elderly inmates and has enabled the smooth integration of community resources and service networks. Gratitude is also extended to the Jeoutai Social Welfare Foundation and Ge Shine Industries Corp. for their generous donations of funds and equipment, providing a safe and well-equipped environment. Chairman Huang Jun-Tang of the Jeoutai Social Welfare Foundation stated that the Foundation has long supported public welfare activities in prisons, showing care for inmates and hoping that they will face life positively and with renewed energy. The Foundation fully supports the establishment of the “Senior Wellness Workshop” at Taitung Prison and has contributed funding to help create an ideal activity space for elderly inmates.

      Taitung Prison upholds the core values proposed by Director-General Hui-Huang Chou of the Agency of Corrections and continues to promote prison governance and treatment models toward greater “professionalism, technological advancement, humanitarianism, and elderly care.” The establishment of the Senior Wellness Workshop is not only an upgrade in hardware facilities, but also a profound policy response to the needs of elderly inmates—an innovative integration of correctional treatment and social welfare.