Twelve prisoners at Beijing Women's Prison will be allowed to celebrate the traditional Chinese New Year with their husbands in specially prepared private rooms, prison officials have said.

This is the first time for the prison to arrange 24-hour visits for its inmates and their spouses. Visits from family members otherwise last for a few hours and take place in special meeting rooms.

During the Spring Festival that falls on Jan. 29 this year, 12 women will stay with their husbands for 24 hours in standard guest rooms provided by the prison authorities on the first or second day of the week-long holiday.

The prison has set up a two-story building for the inmates' family reunions. It has 12 standard guest rooms with separate bathrooms, double beds and other necessary facilities for the special day.

The prison authorities said they will select one woman with exemplary behaviors from each of the prison's 12 units to enjoy the special treatment.

The prison authorities are now sorting out the criteria for the selection process and have begun to accept applications from prisoners.

The prison will also provide free New Year dinner banquets for all the women prisoners during which they can meet family members.

Chinese laws do not provide for 24-hour family reunions in prisons, but relevant regulations say lesser offenders who are being reeducated through labor are allowed to spend a night with visiting spouses.

But a Beijing News commentary on Monday questioned the legal basis of the move, because after all, the right of prisoners to spend a night with their spouses is not stipulated in prevalent Chinese laws.

"If the 24-hour visit is recognized as extending care to female prisoners, then the prison authorities should offer the same treatment to all inmates, not just 12 of them," it said.

The commentary also warned the prison authorities of unexpected pregnancy during the family reunions. Some experts, however, have also warned the prison authorities would advise the women to prevent unwanted pregnancies during the reunions.

Beijing Women's Prison is located in Daxing county on the city's outskirts. The only prison for women in Beijing, it has more than 900 prisoners.

Source: Xinhua