Taiwan English News
Date: February 16, 2019 
By: Phillip Charlier

A man who has been awaiting execution since he was sentenced to death in 2010 applied to purchase an inflatable love doll at his own expense, but had his request rejected by prison authorities.

Hsiao Renchun (蕭仁俊 ) made his request in writing to prison authorities late last year, asking that prison administrators provide a place to store the love doll, and promising that he would clean the device after using it.

Hsiao, a baptized Christian, and model prisoner, also requested that he be allowed to grow his hair long so that he could donate his hair to make wigs for child cancer patients. However, both requests were denied by prison authorities.

The Taipei Detention center currently holds 21 death row inmates.

In considering the application, the prison authorities looked to prison practices in other countries, including the USA, the European Union, and Japan, and decided that inflatable love dolls were not a life necessity.    [FULL  STORY]