A new community service system for convicted petty criminals will be implemented Sept. 1, a move that Premier Liu Chao-shiuan hailed Thursday as a situation that will be mutually beneficial for the convicted, the government and society. 'The new measure will not only reduce the financial burden on the government sector but will also allow petty criminals to serve society and continue taking care of their families, while at the same time helping to ease prison overcrowding, ' Liu said after being briefed by Justice Minister Wang Ching-feng at a regular weekly Executive Yuan meeting. The new community service policy will target criminals who have been sentenced to no more than six months in jail for minor offenses such as burglary, drug abuse, fraud and traffic violations, Liu went on. These criminals will be eligible to apply to the Justice Ministry to opt for community service instead of serving a jail term, Justice Ministry officials said, adding that the government will not force anyone to do community service against their will. According to the officials, the number of Taiwanese criminals is increasing at an average rate of 14.2 percent per year. As of the end of May, more than 50 percent of prisons in northern Taiwan were overcrowded, while 18.6 percent of the prisons nationwide were housing more inmates than normal capacity allows. Judging from the 5,147 criminals serving short prison terms as of late last year, the officials said the equivalent of three prisons could be emptied and some NT$800 million (US$24.4 million) saved on reformatory spending should these petty offenders be released to do community service. Calculated according to the national minimum wage of NT$17,280 per month, the Justice Ministry estimated that these short-term inmates could create a production value of up to NT$846 million per year if released in exchange for serving the community. 