Headed for 6-8 weeks in a "rehab" jail; what to expect?

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A few months ago my wife and I got busted with about a joints worth of hash. It’s a really long story but basically a friend of ours came to our house with a girl and she went home and told her dad that we were druggies. The cops came to our house saying that they suspected us of dealing cocaine (this was right around the time that other foreigner got busted dealing coke) and they searched our entire house.

They found .82 of a gram of hash in a vitamin box that we have had for ages. We don’t really smoke that often but it’s nice to have a bit for rainy days and all that. They arrested us, we got booked, piss tested and spent a few hours in jail until someone could bail us out. It was 20,000NT to bail the both of us out. We hired a lawyer, 60,000NT and we were told that our sentence would be mailed to us in a month or so. Our drug tests both came back negative so we figured we would probably have to pay a fine and shed a tear in front of a judge or something like that.

We were wrong. In fact, we never even saw a judge or a prosecutor. We got our sentences in the mail saying that we both have to do 6 to 8 weeks in a “rehab” jail up in Tu Cheng. Now, i’m all for doing the time for doing the crime and all that garbage, but we kind of felt that we got screwed and our time didn’t actually fit our crime. That’s not really worth mentioning now since our fates have been sealed. I suppose I’m just venting a little bit.

My wife went into jail last week. I absolutely refuse to call it a “rehab” like they say because during my once a week 15 minute visit through glass, bars and on a telephone, i can tell that drug rehabilitation is the last thing that goes on in that shit hole. I’m a little offended that they call it drug rehab when it’s a prison and they sent us there for such a small amount and clean piss but again i’m venting. Not feeling too happy these days.

I have to go in on May 18th. I’m a little worried. Ok, I’m a bit scared. Afraid of the unknown. Not sure how I’m going to be treated as a white guy who doesn’t speak a lick of Chinese. I made this post in the hopes that someone who has either gone to Tu Cheng “rehab” prison or knows someone who has been there can tell me what it’s like in there. I’m afraid that it’s going to be horrible but if I could hear from anybody who has actually been there and knows what’s in store for me, I would be at ease.

I’ve seen my wife twice in the past 11 days that she’s been in there. She has to salute her supervisors, sing military songs and run laps everyday. It’s really so hard imagining her having to do that. She’s a really sweet girl who doesn’t deserve this shit.

Anyway, glad I could get this off my chest. Look forward to hearing any advice you guys might have. Thank you.

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Jeez, Jello, that sounds horrible. Taiwan is still such a benighted place in some respects. I have one question: Why didn’t one of you take the fall for the other? I guess it’s too late now, but it seems to me that one or the other could have said the stash was entirely theirs and that the other had no knowledge of it.

Let me know if there’s anything that I can do for you. In the meantime, stiff upper lip, and all that!

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Jello, just wait for Satellite TV to chime in. He’s bound to have some words of comfort.
Sure sounds like you had a rough end of the stick, though.
What made the evil witch tell her dad you’re druggies?

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Did you guys actually have a trial? If so, what transpired?

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Bummer.

I’ve met someone who did the rehab thang. He said it was just mind numbingly boring. Most of his time was taken up trying to find ways to light smuggled cigarettes.

HG

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When we got to the police station they separated us and took our statements. I told them that my wife didn’t have any knowledge of there being any hash anywhere in our home and that it was all mine. She told them the exact same thing only it was hers and I had never touched the stuff. You truly don’t prepare for these situations. Looking back, we should have just exercised our right to remain silent. We were scared.

[quote=“sandman”]Jello, just wait for Satellite TV to chime in. He’s bound to have some words of comfort.
Sure sounds like you had a rough end of the stick, though.
What made the evil witch tell her dad you’re druggies?[/quote]

I heard that Satellite TV is Taiwanese! I think he let it out once in one of his posts. Don’t tell anyone though.

Her dad found out that she was dating a foreigner and flipped the fuck out. She ratted on us to save the other guy. Shitty deal, but I’m more angry at the fact that all you have to do to get a search warrant in these parts is to walk into a police station and say, “hey my daughter said these guys were dealing cocaine”. Lovely.

Like I said, we never talked to a judge. The only time we saw the prosecutor was when we went to jail the night we got caught. He asked us if we wanted our hash back and then told us we had to pay a bail to get out.

[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]Bummer.

I’ve met someone who did the rehab thang. He said it was just mind numbingly boring. Most of his time was taken up trying to find ways to light smuggled cigarettes.

HG[/quote]

I have talked to somebody who said the exact same thing. Got a lot of reading to catch up on.

Thank guys.

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Bummer.

See if you can bring some good reading material.

Good luck.

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Don’t think you’re allowed reading material. You’re supposed to be “reflecting.”

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Sorry to hear about your troubles.

Rights? Due process? Rule of law? Not necessarily, especially for foreigners, if those in authority don’t feel like it.

But maybe at least with so-called rehab you can stay in Taiwan. Criminal convictions result in foreigners getting kicked out of the country after their sentence is served, no?

Huh? Really? I’m guessing you said “no.” But I wonder what would happen if someone said “OK.”

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I’m not getting deported and you’re right about there not being a criminal charge after it’s all over. We actually have the same thing in the states but it’s a real rehab center where they send people who are addicted to drugs and need help to get off them. It’s in lieu of a criminal charge just like in Taiwan. I don’t want to keep harping on this fact, but this is absolutely no fucking way a rehab center. It’s jail.

He did ask us if we wanted the hash back. I had to have the translator translate it again for me because i was dumfounded by the question. At this point I don’t think it matters. We’re still doing the maximum sentence for this sort of thing.

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Two foreigners I knew did 30 days each for a positive urine test after a club they were in got raided. Both took it in stride and came out okay. Just a lot of daily rules. You’ll have to follow a very regimented system, but the worst part I hear is the boredom.

It’s a bummer, I know, but it will pass. Good luck!

On a positive note, one of the guys couldn’t string a sentence together in Mandarin when he went in, but was chattering like a local when he came out. :laughing:

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In a strange way, it sounds to me like you’re actually getting off pretty leniently. Setting aside the offensiveness of getting your place searched merely on the say-so of some pissed off local, the fact is that they DID find drugs. If they took it to trial, you’d have a criminal charge and WOULD get deported afterward if you were found guilty, as well as a considerably stiffer sentence, probably.
You should tell the cops that the rat was actually at your place trying to sell you crystal meth from her dad’s lab (which you of course refused to buy). Bet they wouldn’t search HIM, though!

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This is strange; I’ve never heard of anything like this happening before. Usually, deportation is the least of your concerns. It’s odd that you got a sentence posted to you without any sort of trial or arbitration or anything. It might be worth your while to speak to the foreign affairs police (or to your lawyer again) to see if there is a “money in lieu of time served” option. I know the option exists for several kinds of misdemeanour, but not sure about this.

All the best. If nothing else, you may be able to write a book when all is said and done. You’re in my thoughts, and it’s a good warning to the rest of us. Take care.

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Taiwan is not known for being soft or ignorant (or even military/police-supplied) on weed like Thailand or Vietnam, people who live here know that after a few weeks or months or whatever. Yeah in the US there would have been a slap on the wrist, but Taiwan ain’t the US. I mean if it was me, I’d be pissed too, and feel like I’m getting the short end of the stick, but that doesn’t mean I’d be right. A couple weeks in “rehab” sucks ass, but it could be worse - what about Singapore???

Jello, can friends bring you like food and things, like in the US? Or you gonna be stuck eating that gruel they call breakfast over here?

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Sorry to hear about your situation Jello. I’d be nervous/scared too. Jia you!

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Aren’t foreigners supposed to go to the foreigner detention center in Sanxia?

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Technically, it’s drug rehab, not prison.

HG

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[quote=“Wookiee”]
On a positive note, one of the guys couldn’t string a sentence together in Mandarin when he went in, but was chattering like a local when he came out. :laughing:[/quote]

That’s what I was thinking. :laughing: Keep your head up Jello…And keep a journal if you can. Your musings could change all this and make a positive impact.

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Major bummer, got off relatively easy but still any time in the cooler is not a hot experience.
Too bad you cant finish the rest of that in there huh? Would take the edge off .

I wouldnt want to be detained for anything over an hour anywhere.

Be cool if you could bring your puter and get online 24/7 tho huh? Then you can give us a blow by blow account . I dont mean that literally. But being able to get online would certainly help the days go by.

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:astonished: It’s harsh. All the best. You have my sympathy.