China Prison Reforms Protect Rights of Inmates

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, September 12, 2003

China Prison Reforms Protect Rights of Inmates

A new prison covering 40 hectares and accommodating 1,000 inmates in Beijing's eastern suburbs is used as a pilot project for the reform of China's penal system.

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A new prison covering 40 hectares and accommodating 1,000 inmates in Beijing's eastern suburbs is used as a pilot project for the reform of China's penal system.

"The Yancheng Prison, erected in October last year with 300 inmates already, is the first prison under the direct control of the Ministry of Justice," said Zhang Jinsang, prison head and deputy-director of the ministry's Prison Management Bureau.

There are over 700 prisons in China. Except the Yancheng Prison,all other prisons are under the administration of provincial or municipal governments.

The new jail, also called the Central Prison, will house convicted government officials and foreigners, and conduct research and experiment on how to protect the legal rights of inmates, Zhang said.

"Well-equipped with medical facilities and living conditions, the Central Prison will serve as a trial base for new administrative measures to be introduced to other prisons," he said.

"People management has been used in this prison, and educational schemes, psychotherapy and community correctional methods will also be in place for the rehabilitation of prisoners," Zhang said.

Zhang made the remarks in China's eastern city of Nanjing attending a seminar on protecting the legal rights of prisoners, together with more than 50 law experts and officials from jails and judicial administrations across the country.

They will also consider a major move to separate prisons from subsidiary enterprises.

Since the foundation of New China, prison enterprises, also called "reform-through-labor camps", have served as correctional bases for prisoners, who make money from their labor to help improve their living conditions, said Wang Mingdi, vice-president of the China Penology Society.

"The integration of prison and enterprise has shown shortcomings in recent years," he said, noting that reforms are aimed at the correctional role of prisons and better protection ofthe legal rights of inmates.

Legal experts at the seminar said China has always attached great importance to the well-being of inmates.

Of the 78 articles of the Prison Law, 33 are related to the safeguarding of prisoners' rights, they said, adding that in 2002,for every 1,000 inmates across the country, there were 5.08 doctors and 15.68 hospital beds, much higher than the average level for the rest of the population.

Moreover, hundreds of thousands of criminals in the past decadehave been systematically trained in educational programs, experts said.

However, they also pointed out that some prison wardens still have to better understand the importance of human rights protection for inmates, and arbitrary interpretation of the law must be rigorously eliminated.

Addressing the problems, jurists and officials proposed that:

-- all prison wardens clearly understand the legal rights of inmates;

-- existing rewards for good behavior be enshrined in legislation; and

-- effective international practices be introduced to Chinese prisons for better protection of inmates' interests and rights.

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