我國於2019年年底通過監獄行刑法與羈押法之全案修正，新的監獄行刑法與羈押法於2020年1月15日公布，於同年7月15日施行。此次監獄行刑法與羈押法的修正有一個改革的重點就是，為落實透明化原則以及保障受刑人權益，監獄行刑法第7條及羈押法第5條規定，各監所皆應設置獨立之外部視察小組（下稱「監所外部視察小組」）。由於我國監所外部視察小組的立法，在立法理由中提到了參考日本的「刑事設施視察委員會」制度（日本刑事設施及被收容人等之處遇法第7條以下）以及德國的「監獄諮詢委員會」制度（德國聯邦監獄行刑法第162條以下）。本文將對日本的「刑事設施視察委員會」制度以及德國的「監獄諮詢委員會」制度加以研究。另外，關於英國的監禁處所的外部獨立監督機制，主要有「國家監獄視察委員會」（Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons，HMIP），由於英國的監禁處所之外部監督機制的實踐享譽國際，因此本文亦就英國的制度加以研究。在探討外國法制之後，本文亦將對我國「監所外部視察小組」的制度與實務運作狀況加以說明，並且與他國制度進行比較。在我國「監所外部視察小組」的實務運作方面，本文將以作者本身的觀察，說明監所外部視察小組的運作問題以及收容人向外部視察小組陳情的運作狀況。最後，基於對於外國法制的研究以及對我國法制及其運作的觀察，本文於結論中提出對於我國「監所外部視察小組」的四點建議：1.監所外部視察小組成員遴選機制應有所改變並加入非專家學者之人；2.提供外部視察委員專業培訓課程；3.建立有效的視察模式；4.外部視察小組對收容人陳情處理的操作。

Taiwan passed comprehensive amendments to the Prison Act and the Detention Act in the end of 2019. The new Prison Act and Detention Act were promulgated on January 15, 2020, and came into effect on July 15 of the same year. A key reform in this amendment to the Prison Act and Detention Act concerns the implementation of the principle of transparency and protection the rights of inmates as stipulated in Article 7 of the Prison Act and Article 5 of the Detention Act that all correctional facilities should establish independent external inspection committees (hereinafter referred to as“external correctional facility inspection committees”). The legislative rationale for Taiwan’s external correctional facility inspection committees drew inspirations from Japan’s“Criminal Facilities Inspection Committee”system (Article 7 et seq. of Japan’s Act on Penal Facilities and the Treatment of Inmates, etc.) and Germany’s“Prison Advisory Committee”system (Article 162 et seq. of Germany’s Federal Prison Act). This article will research Japan’s“Criminal Facilities Inspection Committee”system and Germany’s“Prison Advisory Committee”system. Additionally, regarding the external independent oversight mechanisms for places of detention in the UK, the primary body is“Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons”(HMIP). Since the practice of external oversight mechanisms for places of detention in the UK is internationally renowned, this article will also examine the UK system. After exploring foreign legal systems, this article will further explicate the system and practical operations of Taiwan’s“external correctional facility inspection committees”and compare them with systems in other countries. Regarding the practical operation of Taiwan’s“external correctional facility inspection committees,”this article will, based on the author’s own observations, illustrate the operational problems of the external correctional facility inspection committees and the operational status of inmates’complaints to the external inspection committees. Finally, based on the research of foreign legal systems and observations of Taiwan’s legal system and its operations, this article proposes four recommendations for Taiwan’s“external correctional facility inspection committees”in the conclusion: 1. The selection mechanism for members of the external correctional facility inspection committees should be modified to include non-expert scholars; 2. Provide professional training courses for external inspection committee members; 3. Establish an effective inspection model; 4. Clarify the positioning of the external inspection committees regarding inmate complaints and the operation of complaint handling.