Taichung Prison held a spring festival family reunion for 3 days from January 8th to 10th in order to encourage inmates to intensify their interactions with family. The event was presided by the Superintendent Ciou who, during his speech, said that, on top of the reunion, several measurements including extra food at meals, exceptional days for outdoor activities inside prison and visitations, etc., during Chinese New Year holidays were carried out to let inmates feel the support and encouragement from their family and the family feel at ease as well.

A Chinese New Year couplet writing activity was included in the event, sponsored by Taiwan After-Care Association Taichung branch, in which inmates of the calligraphy workshop wrote calligraphy on couplets on the spot and each family was given a pair of the couplets by the Superintendent and the coordinator Lin JHENG ZE of the branch. In addition, Taichung City Drug Abuse Prevention Center and Red Heart Association were also invited to join in the reunion to pass out brochures to help inmates learn more about various social resources to relieve family financial difficulties while in prison and fast and smoothly integrate into society after being released.

The inmates’ children are fond of the activity, bedtime stories for kids, thus it was elaborately arranged in this occasion as well. Before the event, the prison assisted inmates in recording CDs of the fairy tales they particularly chose for their children which were given to inmates and their family by the Superintendent Ciou in the reunion. “I love Daddy reading me stories!,” kids excitedly uttered when accepting the story CDs. Thanks to the audio transmission of bedtime story, parent-child relationship became stronger and inmates’ sense of responsibility arose to reform, all of these fulfilled the purpose of recidivism prevention.

To display the result of edification and education, the Western Music Club and the Philharmonic Club performed live shows in the gathering as well as other clubs which added a strong festival atmosphere to the reunion, and the family were able to experience the efforts and result in person. Among the performances, “Ninja Dance” and magic show highlighted the occasion which were highly popularized by the family and kids on the spot.