Prison management to get heightened scrutiny

Prosecutors in Guangdong province have conducted a thorough investigation of prisons and have improved their oversight to prevent prison escapes, as well as illegal paroles or commutations of sentences for convicted ex-officials or wealthy individuals, a senior officer from the Guangdong Provincial People's Procuratorate said.

"We have carefully examined all 127 prisons and detention houses to spot safety loopholes and enhance supervision to fight such crimes," said Zheng Hong, chief prosecutor at the procuratorate, who is also a deputy to the National People's Congress.

The investigation found that "backward equipment and management loopholes were mainly to blame for prison breaks", Zheng said.