Prisons looking outside to help inmates

CHENGDU: Five prisons in Sichuan are trying to break out of the box by taking out a unique ad.

The ad lists serial numbers of inmates plus a bit of information about each, such as: "faces a long prison term and needs psychological counseling"; "family has a financial dispute she cannot solve because she is in prison"; and "jail term will be over soon but he worries about his future job".

Behind the two-page spread, which ran in the popular tabloid Chengdu Economic Daily yesterday, is the hope that members of the public will come forward to assist the 1,000 inmates in need.