The Beijing Prison Administration has opened a TV station for prisoners, the first of its kind in China with programs dedicated to reeducation of inmates.

The TV station was originally designed for inmates to have a quick access to what have happened inside the jail, but it also helps inmates to keep abreast of the changes outside, which will facilitate them greatly when they have served their terms, said Zheng Zhaolin, director of the media center of the administration.

The programs, broadcast every fortnight since Oct. 1, are available for some 17,000 prisoners in all the 13 jails under the jurisdiction of the administration.

All the news anchors are selected from prison guards or administrators and the programs are produced in a 200-square-meter studio.

"We may not be a professional team, but we are putting our hearts in it," said Mao Weihao, deputy director of the media center.

The programs, which last for 45 to 60 minutes, consist of news, special reports about prisoners' lives, and a program named "Go Home," featuring pictures and videos shot at prisoners' homes.

"To put a criminal in jail is not difficult, but to have he or she reform himself or herself thoroughly is really hard", said Mao.

Mao noted the media center will do its best to shorten the production cycle and make more programs conducive to the reeducation of prisoners.

Source: Xinhua