Dr. Shieh revisits the Tainan Detention center with members of his family to show them where he spent 59 days.
Here's the sign from the road as you approach the detention center:
This is the entrance to the detention center. The yellow cab waits out front for anybody who might be released that day. The cab driver told us that business was slow because it was Saturdays and most activities happen on Sundays. You can see a guard sitting at a table below the blue awning.
Here's an outlook/surveillance tower with Ching standing next to the sign.
It's important to note that this detention center is different from a jail. In Taiwan, people who are undergoing investigation can be detained for up to two months at the request of the investigator with approval from a judge. After the first two months, the investigator can ask for a single two month extension. That means a person can be detained for up to four months legally without being charged with any crime! This is clearly an instance of being assumed guilty until proven innocent.
None of the people held in this center have been charged with any crime. This is very different from a jail where all inmates have been proven guilty in a court of law.
Here is a guard up on the lookout tower.
The sign indicates an entrance for "Relatives Visitation." Ching's sister, standing next to him, would bring food for Ching every week. The detainees were allowed to receive food from outside, but subject to strict measures. For instance, lychees had to be individually peeled and placed in plastic bags in order to be sent inside. The food from family was a source of comfort for the detainees, as they were not allowed any contact with their families except through the food that was sent.
The large doors are the entrance for the prisoner trucks. There are actually a double set of doors with a garage space between. Ching described that the prisoners rode together from the courthouse, 8-15 prisoners handcuffed together and sitting on benches that lined a van. The first set of doors were opened and the van entered into the building. At that point, the doors would close behind them. Only when the first set of doors were closed would the second set of doors leading into the compound be opened. This was a way of making the transportation of prisoners more secure.
Ching explains the entrance to his sister.
Just outside the main entrance of the detention center are a number of small buildings. These buildings house small business that prepare food for the families of detainees. If the family members live too far away or have to work and cannot bring their loved ones food, these businesses offer to cook and deliver meals for a fee.
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