Implementation Guidelines for Making Appointments for Visits to Correctional Institutions Under the Ministry of Justice Correctional Agency

1. In order to reduce the waiting time for visitors during on-site visits, appointment-based visits are implemented in correctional institutions under the Ministry of Justice Correctional Agency, in accordance with these guidelines.

2. Applications for visits, except for on-the-day visits, can be made through appointment for both regular visits and visits using communication equipment.

3. The application requirements for appointment-based visits are as follows:
   (a) For appointments for regular visits, they are limited to the spouse, family members, or relatives of the inmate, and those who have visited the correctional institution where the inmate is housed at least once before. However, those who make appointments through the website are not subject to the restriction of having visited the correctional institution before.
   (b) For appointments for visits using communication equipment, they are processed in accordance with Article 7 of the Regulations for Visits Using Communication Equipment in Prisons and Detention Centers (referred to as "these regulations").

4. The procedures for appointment-based visits are as follows:
   (a) For those who make appointments in person, they should do so at the designated time and location specified by the correctional institution.
   (b) For those who make appointments through the website, they should visit the "Ministry of Justice Correctional Agency Service Portal" at https://service.mjac.moj.gov.tw.
   (c) For those who make appointments through other methods as announced by the correctional institution, they should follow the relevant information announced by the institution.

5. The application period for appointment-based visits is as follows. However, with permission from the correctional institution, these periods do not apply:
   (a) For regular visits, applications should be submitted from seven days before the visit date until 3:00 PM two days prior.
   (b) For visits using communication equipment, applications should be submitted within the period specified in Article 9, Paragraph 1 of these regulations. The deadline for the specified period is 3:00 PM on the day the correctional institution accepts the application.
   If the deadline falls on a national holiday or other day off, it will be moved to the last working day before that holiday or day off.
   For appointment-based visits, applicants should complete the registration and check-in process with relevant identification documents at the correctional institution no later than 30 minutes before the visit time. After completing the visit with an individual inmate, the applicant can proceed to register for the next appointment. The number of appointments for regular visits and visits using communication equipment should be counted separately. For those who make appointments through the website, they can check the progress or results of their appointment review on the website. For those who make appointments through other methods, they can inquire as announced by the correctional institution.

6. The correctional institution should review the applications for appointment-based visits after 4:00 PM on working days and notify the applicants of the review results by phone, email, text message, or other appropriate means, or enable them to inquire about the results. If there are special circumstances that require adjustment or cancellation, the institution should notify the applicants in an appropriate manner.

7. If the applicant is unable to visit on the scheduled date and time or through the designated communication method, they must cancel the appointment no later than 15:00 on the day before the scheduled visit via phone, website, or other appropriate means.

   • If the day before the scheduled visit falls on a national holiday or other non-working day, the appointment must be canceled on the previous working day.

   Failure to visit according to the scheduled date and time or through the designated communication method for three or more times within the past six months may result in the correctional institution refusing to accept future appointments for a period of three months from the last unattended visit.

8. Except for telephone visits and mobile visits, applicants should arrive at the correctional institution with the relevant identification documents to complete the registration and check-in process 30 minutes before the visiting time. The correctional institution may adjust the visiting sequence based on the on-site situation.

9. When making a reservation for a visit, individuals should provide accurate personal information. If there is any evidence of impersonation, forgery, or alteration of identity, the correctional institution shall immediately cancel the individual's qualification for making reservations.

10. The number of available reservation slots for visits is as follows:

    • General visits: The number of available reservation slots for each session should be no less than one-third of the total capacity.
    • Communication equipment visits: The number of available reservation slots for each session should be no less than one-half of the total capacity.

    In order to facilitate the smooth operation of reservation visits, each correctional institution should establish a schedule for visit sessions and may adjust the session times based on the actual circumstances of the day.

11. The reservation visit procedures specified in these guidelines do not apply to visits on national holidays or other non-working days.

12. The requirements, procedures, duration, suspension of privileges, session allocation, and other relevant matters for reservation visits should be publicly announced by the correctional institution in an appropriate manner.