LIMITED RESOURCES HAMPER EX-OFFENDERS' NEW LIVES|助更生人返鄉 更保會服務有限.難題待解

Taiwan After-Care Association believes that everyone deserves a second chance. That's why they offer loans up to 400,000 NTD to former inmates to help them start a business. Some ex-offenders say they are really grateful for the organization because it's difficult for them to find a job. The organization helps 500 people a year to turn a new leaf in life Min Huang, the 34 year old ex-offender has been farming for the past three years. With his expertise in tomato grafting, he was nominated as Taiwan's top one hundred young farmers. ==MIN HUANG, Ex-offender== When I first started, I wanted to give up and I was only helping out. When I think about my teacher, who is already 60 or 70 years old, and he's still doing it. I'm just 30 something, I should be able to do it. Min Huang said, the past three years have been life changing. He was first sentenced to jail for taking part in a credit card fraud scheme, and back to jail for the second time and served 7 years for selling drugs. When he got out of jail, with the support from his mother, he decided to turn his life around. ==MIN HUANG'S MOTHER== Every parent has a vision of how they'd like their children to turn out. I believe every parent will also give their child another chance. Min Huang now has two students from the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, and he also teaches grafting at an agriculture school, hoping to pass on his knowledge. ==MIN HUANG, Ex-offender== I want to provide them (ex-offender) a job opportunity. The reason why they end up committing another crime is because they usually don't have the ability to support themselves, or that they just don't have any money for food. However, not everyone is as lucky as Min Huag. Especially, for ex-offenders with a drug addiction, many of them end up at a halfway house. ==CHEN KUO-YANG, Chief Executive of The House of Grace== Some ex-offenders lied or even stole from their parents, breaking the trust and the relationship as well. It will take some time to heal. Taiwan After-Care Association aims to help people who have served jail termed to find work and a home to go back to. However, with a limited amount of resources, they can only assist about 500 people per year. ==WU PEI-HSIN Kaohsiung Branch Director, Taiwan After-Care Association== It's difficult to find other religious groups that will pride this kind of assistance. The Ministry of Justice wants us to develop more half-way houses, but even with a suitable place in mind, we don't have any labor power to spare. According to the research by the Ministry of Justice, in the past 5 years, there are about 35,000 prisoners released from the prison. In order to find a solution for prison overcrowding, the government plans to ease parole restrictions. While the association strives to assist ex-offenders to re-enter the society, more prisoners being released meaning that there will be more challenges ahead. TRANSLATED BY：STELLA TU 更生人重回社會困難，有的人還不被家庭接納，有家歸不得，必須被安置在中途之家。長期協助更生人返鄉的台灣更保會，也因為人力不足，返鄉機制，大多委託，給其它團體辦理，因為承接的團體不多，使得能服務的更生人人數，相當有限。 頂著高溫，整理番茄園。他是更生人旻晃，今年34歲。投身農業3年多，資歷不算深，但靠著專業的番茄苗嫁接技術，入選去年的百大青農。 ==更生人 旻晃== 開始學的時候 也是做到一半 真的很累了 想要放棄 （但想到我師父)六、七十歲了 因為我(一開始)算是只是在幫忙 我覺得 因為我想說 他們六、七十歲都有辦法了 我才三十幾歲而已 我怎麼沒辦法 旻晃說，當農夫這3年，是截然不同的人生。因為自己過去是盜刷集團成員，也賣過K他命，連續2次入獄，第1次因為年紀輕、刑期輕，再走回頭路，第2次入獄，一判就是7年，不想讓總是支持他的母親擔心，他切割過去，在母親協助下，接觸番茄苗接種，進而拜師學藝。 ==旻晃母親== 每一個天下間的父母 對自己的孩子總是有希望 抱著希望 我相信大家 都會給孩子機會 不藏私的旻晃，還收了2名屏科大在學生當徒弟，也到農事學校教書，傳承嫁接技術，也希望幫助其他更生人。 ==更生人 旻晃== 我會提供他們(更生人)就業的機會 為什麼這些人會走回頭路 有可能就是 他們出來之後 他們沒有謀生的能力 沒錢吃飯 就會再走回頭路 但不是每個更生人，都像他這麼幸運。尤其藥癮犯，因為再犯機率高，家庭關係難以修補，有的人出獄後連家也回不去，被安置在中途之家。 ==基督教沐恩之家執行長 陳國揚== 欺騙 忤逆 甚至搶父母親的金錢 然後讓很多父母親受到很大的傷害 因為這樣的關係 這個信任的關係已經破壞了 所以要恢復 需要時間 更生人無家可歸，台灣更生保護協會，推家庭支持方案，但協會人力不足，返家機制都委外，卻受限於有意承接的民間團體與社福機構數量不多，每年能輔導的更生人家庭頂多500個。 ==台灣更保會高雄分會主任 吳珮莘== 在找這樣(願意經營)的宗教團體 對我們來講 是非常大的困難 我們南部 像我們最近 我們法務部 一直希望我們 能夠多開拓一些安置處所 可是就是有這樣的地方 沒有人來經營 法務部近5年的調查顯示，每年平均都有3萬5千名受刑人出獄，更因為超收問題，105年起放寬受刑人假釋門檻，但更保能提供的服務額度卻有限，也成了協會，另一項待解難題。 記者 王柔婷 陳顯坤 高雄報導