Parole numbers likely to increase
More inmates will be rehabilitated outside of prison with the aim of helping them return to society, an official of China's top justice authority said on Saturday.
About 2 percent of prisoners can be given parole now, "which is obviously low and needs to be increased further", said Zhang Jun, minister of justice. "The remainder of the prison term for an inmate can be regarded as probation, and during that period we can rehabilitate him or her within the community."
Rehabilitation outside prison can effectively help inmates integrate into society and engage in the workforce, "and the inmate will finally contribute to ensuring social safety," Zhang said after the opening session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
