More than 100 prisoners in Beijing are joining their families to
celebrate the Spring Festival as a result of China's largest
ever parole and sentence commutation.
Wednesday morning, 147 prisoners currently incarcerated in
Beijing, were released on parole, just in time for them to return
home to enjoy Spring Festival with their families.
In addition to these lucky few, another 410 prisoners had their
sentences commuted.
Commenting at the parole and sentence commutation meeting
yesterday, Zhang Fen, one of the prisoners lucky enough to have
been granted parole said, "Without parole, I would have had to stay
in the prison for another two years and I wouldn't be able to go
home until 2009."
"As soon as I get home," she said, "I will cook for my parents,
something I have wanted to do for a long time."
Last year, at the age of 40, Zhang was sentenced to over three
years in prison for drug smuggling. She said she hadn't seen her
parents since her court appearance and had missed them a great
deal.
Yesterday, over 10,000 people, including the heads of the local
police, procuratorial and judiciary departments, along with all
prisoners up for parole attended the unprecedented meeting in
Beijing.
Not all prisoners were lucky enough to be released. At the
meeting, one prisoner had his sentence extended by 30 months for
affray. Another was recalled back from parole by police for
allegedly covering up crimes for which he had not yet confessed
to.
Guo Jitang, deputy head of the Beijing Prison Management Bureau
revealed that, according to state law, prison officials give marks
to the prisoners based on their behavior, rewarding those with high
marks by commuting their sentences.
Pan Kaiyuan from the Beijing Prison Action Department said, "I
believe it is perfectly correct that we should let them go home for
Spring Festival."
(China Daily February 16, 2007)
