Taipei: The Cabinet on Thursday proposed denying parole to repeat DUI offenders who re-offend within a five-year period and those convicted of felonies, including child abuse, who are sentenced to life imprisonment or terms exceeding 10 years. Premier Cho Jung-tai announced that the Cabinet adopted the proposed amendments, which were drafted by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), with the aim of deterring such criminal activities.

According to Focus Taiwan, the bills specify that anyone violating Article 185-3 of the Criminal Code-covering offenses from substance-impaired driving to incidents causing injury or death-will be ineligible for parole if they re-offend within five years of their previous conviction. The amendments also extend the parole ban to include individuals convicted of homicide, attempted murder, or child abuse resulting in death or severe injury, who are sentenced to life imprisonment or terms of 10 years or more.

Under the current Criminal Code, individuals sentenced to life imprisonment are eligible for parole after serving 25 years. First-time offenders must serve half of their sentence, while repeat offenders must serve two-thirds before they can apply for parole. Parole is currently unavailable to anyone who, within five years of release from a crime carrying a minimum sentence of five years, commits another offense carrying the same minimum term, as well as to sex offenders deemed by experts to still pose a high risk after receiving prison therapy.

In a news release, the MOJ emphasized that the amendments to the Criminal Code and its enforcement law reflect the government's determination to crack down on criminal activities and address public expectations.