Cabinet proposes parole ban for five-year repeat DUIs, serious felons

Taipei, June 25 (CNA) 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 (卓榮泰) said that the Cabinet adopted the proposed amendments, drafted by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), in the hope of deterring such criminal activities.

According to the bills, anyone violating Article 185-3 of the Criminal Code -- which covers offenses ranging from standard 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 extended 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 Criminal Code, individuals sentenced to life imprisonment are currently eligible for parole after serving 25 years, while first-time offenders must serve half of their sentence and repeat offenders two-thirds before they can apply for parole.

Parole is currently not available 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, and sex offenders deemed by experts to still pose a high risk after receiving prison therapy.

In a news release, the MOJ said that the amendments to the Criminal Code and its enforcement law demonstrate the government's resolve to crack down on criminal activities and respond to public expectations.