The Ministry of Justice yesterday asked its 82 correctional facilities nationwide to arrange available rooms to prepare to quarantine inmates or detainees who may be infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
The ministry also decided to temporarily cancel visiting periods for friends and family members of inmates on the weekends and holidays starting Thursday.
The 82 correctional facilities include 22 prisons, 18 detention houses, 18 detention facilities for juveniles, three juvenile reform schools, four vocational training institutes and 17 drug treatment centers. Altogether, they hold 55,476 inmates or detainees, according to the ministry's latest figures.
As of press time yesterday, the ministry and its correctional facilities had not reported any SARS-related cases to the Department of Health.
"Luckily, we do not have any inmates with SARS so far so we are still carrying out precautionary measures and staying abreast of the situation. In addition, our regular receptions for inmates, their friends and family members on the weekends and holidays will be temporarily cancelled beginning on Thursday. But we will resume them once the disease is under control," said Lu Tzu-shou (
In addition to the stricter measures, Lu also said that from now on, law enforcement officers will quarantine new inmates immediately if they are suspected of having been infected with SARS.
If SARS infection is confirmed, these inmates will be sent directly to hospitals for necessary medical treatment before they begin their jail terms.
On Friday, the ministry began sterilizing its building daily. The same measure was also put into practice in its 82 correctional facilities, 20 district prosecutors' offices, 20 district courts and the offices of the Judicial Yuan.
In addition, prosecutors, court guards and prison guards were all requested to wear surgical masks at all times during their duty hours.
"We are glad that SARS has not spread throughout our offices and prisons. It is still under control since we are doing everything we can to fight it," Lu said.
The Taipei District Prosecutors Office reported that four staff members were quarantined at home after all four had visited the Taipei Municipal Hoping Hospital.
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