10% OF FORMER OFFENDERS START OWN BUSINESS|出獄遭歧視難謀職 更生人創業路坎坷

In Taiwan, many ex-offenders out looking for work often wonder if it would be easier to start their own business. Some receive financial support from their family members, and some apply for loans from the Taiwan After-Care Association. For Mr Fang, his day begins at 6 pm. He was arrested and went to jail for being involved in a hit and run drunk driving accident. After being released on parole, he began selling ice cream in a night market with some financial support from his family, and his monthly income is now more than a normal office worker. ==MR. FANG ex-offender== I worked hard for this money, so I am not worried about discrimination. Comparing to the average office employees, they probably don't even make as much as I do. Mr. Fang believes, aside from having the ability to overcome hardship, financial support is also an important factor when creating your own business. It's hard to imagine, but the chef, also the owner of the restaurant, used to be a gang leader. ==LIANG YU-SUNG, ex-offender== When you are behind bars, there's nothing much to eat. So if it doesn't taste very good, we usually eat it with instant noodles. Mr. Liang says some inmates would eat instant noodles with rice to add a flavor boost to the food, and now this has become a dish in his own restaurant. He says this dish serves as a reminder for himself to never go down that road again. Restaurant owner Liang Yu-Sung, served jail time of 4 years due to the violation of firearms regulations. When he realized most of his gang members either died in prison or passed away after getting out of prison, he decided to change up his life and create something of his own. ==LIANG YU-SUNG ex-offender== When you're at a job interview, the employer usually presents some sort of attitude or starts with a bad impression. Mr. Liang also says starting a business is not easy. It's been two years since the opening of the restaurant, but it has not been profitable. At one point, he turned to the Taiwan After-Care Association for help. The association offers a start-up loan of up to NT$400,000 for ex-offenders to help them bring their plans to life. However, there has been worries that the loans can be misused. ==WU PEI-HSIN Director at Taiwan After-Care Association Kaohsiung Branch== A long time ago, when we didn't have such strict requirements to qualify for loans, we did have a case where the ex-offender used the loan to buy drugs and was found dead at a hotel two days later. According to the statistics by the Ministry Of Justice, there are about 35,000 prisoners released from the prison each year, and about 3,500 apply for start-up loans. With a limited amount of funding, the association has implemented stricter requirements for the loans, which can present a challenge for the ex-offenders who wish to start their own business. TRANSLATED BY：STELLA TU 每年平均3萬5千名受刑人出獄，其中有1成會因為遭受歧視等原因，選擇創業。有的人幸運得到家人支持，有的人則是透過，更生保護協會幫助貸款創業。不過核貸金額最多40萬，不少更生人認為金額太低，或者是拿不出擔保品，連這條路都走不通。 晚間六點，許多人的下班時間，才是方先生開始工作的時候。笑稱全高雄大小夜市都擺過攤的他，曾因酒駕肇逃入獄服刑。假釋後在家人的經濟支援下，在夜市擺攤賣冰，收入比一般上班族還高。 ==更生人 方先生== 有心比較重要啦 我流汗賺我的錢 怎麼會怕人歧視 而且你一般正常上班族 你賺的又不一定比我多 創業成功，方先生認為除了要不怕苦，最重要的是金錢援助。 拿起鍋鏟，三、兩下，做出一道料理，昔日動刀動槍的黑道大哥，現在是小吃店老闆。 ==更生人 梁有松== 關的時候沒有東西可以吃呀 菜不好呀 菜不好你是不是 用那個(泡)麵下去泡一泡 獄中伙食不好，許多受刑人會將泡麵摻飯增添口感，被老闆戲稱為:艱苦飯。這道菜成了店裡料理之一。就是要提醒自己別走回頭路。他是小吃店老闆梁有松，也是更生人。因違反槍砲彈藥管制條例入獄4年，看著過去的兄弟不是關到老死就是出獄後橫死街頭，他決定金盆洗手，自己當老闆。 ==更生人 梁有松== 因為你去(找工作) 人家老闆 會先給你一些不好的印象 跟臉色給你看 只是創業的路上並不順遂，梁有松說自己開業2年多，賠多賺少，當初資金軋不過來時，曾向更生保護協會貸款，卻發現核貸的金額不如預期。 ==更生人 梁有松== 比如說我要買這樣東西10萬元 你只借給我3萬 那我拿來是不是花掉 因為我要去買一個東西10萬 我後來(錢不夠呀) 你說叫我貸款 有些東西可以貸 有些東西不能貸呀 只要有抵押品或擔保人，更生保護協會提供創業貸款，最高金額40萬元，也會在受理後派人協助，更生人希望核貸額度更大，但協會也怕有的更生人嘴裡說要創業，卻在貸款之後消失無蹤，成了追討不到的呆帳。 ==台灣更保會高雄分會主任 吳珮莘== 很早以前 我們曾經有個案 那時候擔保的條件沒有這麼嚴格 結果他第2天就在旅社 發現他去用毒 然後就暴斃死亡了 他就是拿著 剛貸款到的這筆金額 就拿去買毒品 法務部統計，每年平均有3萬5千名受刑人出獄，更保會換算下來，想創業的更生人1年就有3500人，協會資金有限，不嚴格審核，恐怕會壓縮他人的權益，但也難免擔心讓有意創業的更生人無法大展身手，雙方的難題，都還在尋求更好的解決辦法。 記者 王柔婷 陳顯坤 高雄報導