【Introduction】

Construction of the Old Chiayi Prison began in 1919 (the 8th year of Emperor Taisho), and was completed and in operation in 1922, under the name Tainan Prison Chiayi Branch. After World War II, it was renamed Taiwan Chiayi Prison. In 1994, the prison was relocated to Lucao Township of Chiayi County in response to a prison reform program initiated by the Ministry of Justice. The original location was then renamed Chiayi Branch of Taiwan Chiayi Prison. The building of the old Chiayi Prison is the only prison structure with an architectural style characterized during the Japanese colonial period, which is well-preserved throughout the entire prison. A gatehouse stands as the main entrance to the prison and acts as a checkpoint where access in and out of the prison could be monitored and controlled. Passing the control center in the administrative office of and the central monitoring place, three rows of prison blocks are arranged in a radial layout with a staff hall positioned in the center. The hallway to the inmate cells is located in the center of each prison block, and the main structure is supported with weight-bearing walls, wood trusses, and tiled double-sloping roofs. Work areas are situated at the left, right, and rear sections of the main building, including four workshops, a women's workshop, and Rixin Hall. At the south end of the prison blocks close to the high wall, is the dormitory area for wardens and jailers, where the rectangular wood buildings used for dormitories were built in Japanese-style. The overall structure of the buildings remains intact in addition to their distinct arrangement. The design of the old prison clearly shows the concept of structural functionalism accompanied with space rigorously organized, which is often exemplified in buildings from the Japanese colonial period.

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