Breaking the Silence of Taiwan’s Justice System: TNL Mediagene's Brand, The News Lens, Won the 2024 Human Rights Reporting Award for "Inside Taiwan's Prisons"

The News Lens, a prominent media under TNL Mediagene,  been recognized with the prestigious Human Rights Reporting Award for its groundbreaking investigative series, Inside Taiwan's Prisons.

The Inside Taiwan's Prisons series traces its origins back to March or April 2023, beginning with applications for visits to various correctional facilities. After at least six months of preparation, the series culminates in six in-depth investigative reports. The series delves into multiple prison facilities across Taiwan, featuring interviews with inmates, correctional staff, and experts from various fields. It exposes pressing issues faced by inmates during incarceration, including overcrowding facilities, insufficient mental health resources, a lack of effective recidivism prevention programs, and the limitations of the rehabilitative education system. Beyond exposing management challenges, the reports offer a profound analysis of the structural difficulties tied to judicial reform and social reintegration.

Mario Yang, Co-founder and Chief Content Officer of TNL Mediagene's The News Lens, said: "Through Inside Taiwan's Prisons, we hope to raise awareness that prisons are not just places of punishment but crucial gateways to social reintegration. The protection of inmates' rights affects not only individual lives but also the safety and fairness of society as a whole.”

The series highlights three key issues：

1. Overcrowding and Unequal Resource Allocation：

Data from the reports reveal that the spatial capacity of most prisons is limited , directly impacting the basic living conditions of inmates and the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs.

2. Lack of Mental Health Support and Recidivism Prevention: 

Many inmates lack psychological support and treatment during their sentences, with professional counseling resources for high-risk groups critically insufficient.

3. Systemic Challenges in Social Reintegration: 

Former inmates often face discrimination and employment difficulties, underscoring the structural gaps in Taiwan's justice system when inmates are transited from release to reintegration.

Photo Credit：Mindy Liang

As Taiwan's leading digital media brand, The News Lens remains committed to its mission of exploring social issues with a diverse and in-depth perspective. This award reaffirms that high-quality journalism can drive social movement and amplify voices that might otherwise be ignored. Looking ahead, The News Lens pledges to uphold its professional and responsible approach, delving into both domestic and international issues, with the hope of fostering more positive change through the power of journalism.

For further information, please contact
E-mail：pr@tnlmediagene.com

About TNL Mediagene

TNL Mediagene, a Cayman Islands-registered company, is the product of the May 2023 merger of Taiwan’s The News Lens Co. and Japan’s Mediagene Inc., two leading, independent digital-media groups. Its business includes original and licensed media brands in Chinese, Japanese and English, across a range of subjects, including news, business, technology, science, food, sports and lifestyle; AI-powered advertising and marketing technology platforms in demand by agencies; and e-commerce and creative solutions. It takes pride in its political neutrality, its reach with younger audiences, and its quality. The company has 550 employees across Asia, with offices in Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

https://www.tnlmediagene.com/
 

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