The Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday that care packages containing contraceptives and contagious disease control information will be distributed to prisoners who will be pardoned via the recently approved commutation bill, scheduled to take effect next Monday.
The commutation bill was passed by the legislature last month. The Ministry of Justice said that a total of 25,670 prisoners, of which 10,353 will be released on Monday, will benefit from the implementation of the bill.
Among those who will be released on Monday, 4,521 were sentenced for drug offenses and 635 are AIDS patients.
letter
The DOH said in an online statement yesterday that care packages will contain a letter from health minister Hou Sheng-mou (
Methadone is a synthetic opioid used in replacement therapy that helps drug abusers eliminate or reduce the consumption of addictive drugs.
The statement said that many overseas studies have indicated that the spread of AIDS will accelerate six months within the implementation of the amnesty.
distribution
The distribution of care packages was part of preventive measures taken by the DOH's Center for Disease Control to help contain contagious diseases.
Local health officials will also be stationed in correctional facilities nationwide on Monday and offer health-related consultation services to all the pardoned inmates.
Since the middle of last month, the center has been working with the Ministry of Justice to organize educational seminars for inmates on how to avoid contracting AIDS and other contagious diseases.
Overall, the ministry has arranged 159 seminars, which have been attended by 15,000 inmates.
Besides those scheduled to be released on Monday, the remaining inmates are to be freed soon.
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