Commuted prison sentences need justifying

In July 2002, Zhang Erjiang, former Party chief of Tianmen, Hubei province, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for corruption. However, media outlets found that he had already been set free in 2010, having served less than half his sentence. The prison responded that Zhang was released early because of his good behavior. Comments:

Zhang's case might be justified, but being released early has become something of a privilege for corrupt officials sentenced to prison and that's why the case received so much media attention. If officials do not get penalty that fits their crimes, prison sentences will no longer act as a deterrent. The judiciary needs to be more transparent, and make any decision to reduce periods of incarceration open to the public, so that any corruption involved in commuting prison terms can be rooted out.

rednet.cn, June 2