A man sentenced to life in prison has qualified for parole after serving 10 years and passing the entrance exam for the sociology department of National Taiwan University, a Ministry of Justice official said yesterday.
The case has led social critics to draw parallels to the recent parole application by the "Hwakang Wolf" a serial rapist who also wanted to enroll in the school's sociology department.
Sources said yesterday that the new parolee, surnamed Hwang, was expected to gain his freedom and study at the prestigious university.
The Taipei Times follows the convention of the Taiwanese media of not providing Hwang's full name -- although it is matter of public record -- for fear of prejudicing his chances of rehabilitation.
Hwang's crime is related to robbery, but no further details were released.
A ministry official said Hwang shouldn't have any problems with his parole application. The official said prisoners who qualify for parole and who have been accepted by a university are almost certain to be released.
Chen Tung-sheng (陳東升), chairman of NTU's sociology department, said yesterday that if Hwang's parole application is granted by the justice ministry, the department would welcome him.
"The department and most of the students are well aware of the possible admission of this convict and we give the inmate credit for the sincerity of his desire to make a new start in life," Chen said.
"We welcome his coming as long as he gets paroled," Chen said.
When asked if the department was setting a double standard in receiving Hwang without much fuss while being reluctant to accept the "Hwakang Wolf," Chen said the two cases were different.
"The reason students were making a fuss over the possible arrival of the `Hwakang Wolf' is because he was a serial rapist," Chen said.
"The department had to take the students' anxiety into account," he added.
The Justice Ministry's rejection of the "Wolf's" application for parole means he will spend at least one more year in jail.
But for most inmates awaiting parole, gaining entrance to an university is almost a sure way out.
This year, 38 prisoners registered for the Joint College Entrance Exam.
Thirty-three passed and now wait for their parole applications to be approved. Most are serving sentences ranging from 14 years to life in prison.
"There are different `due days' for prisoners to qualify for parole," the ministry official said.
"Generally, for the 33 inmates who have passed the exam, if the end of their minimum time served is before August, it's possible for them to [start their studies in the fall]. However, no final decisions have yet been made," he said.
The official said authorities were more than happy to provide the convicts with a chance to receive a better education.
"However, the Ministry of Justice considers every case quite seriously because we do not wish to release them when they are not ready, when we are not ready."
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