TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Cabinet launched a proposal Thursday (Sept. 22) to prevent violent criminals from ending up at minimum-security prisons.

The amendment was called for following the fatal stabbing of two police officers in Tainan City last month by a suspect, Lin Hsin-wu (林信吾), who had failed to return to a minimum-security prison after leaving for a family visit.

Responding to calls for less leniency, the Cabinet decided to apply the new amendment to people found guilty of violent crimes punishable with prison sentences of 10 years or more. The Legislative Yuan still had to review the proposal, CNA reported.

Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) defended the use of minimum-security prisons as a stage in the reinsertion of criminals into society after the end of their sentences. The new proposal addressed the risk of some criminals abusing the system by raising the threshold for participation, Su said.

The list of crimes making convicts ineligible to stay at low-security prisons included human trafficking, domestic abuse, robbery, kidnapping, and participation in organized crime activities, while prisoners who failed to return after leave would also be moved back to a regular prison after they were caught.

During the past 10 years, 49 prisoners escaped from minimum-security prisons, including three this year who were caught last month.