Honey, I’m home! 1,300 Chinese prisoners granted 5 days’ freedom over Lunar New Year holiday
Temporary amnesties granted to low-risk criminals who have already served at least half their sentences
Prison authorities across China have granted temporary pardons to 1,300 inmates, allowing them to spend five days of the Lunar New Year holiday at home with their families, according to local media reports.
All of the convicts selected for the programme had been carefully screened, The Beijing News reported, citing an official from the Shanghai Prison Administration.
Anyone convicted of a violent crime, or on charges linked to terrorism, drug dealing or organised crime was automatically excluded, while all of those chosen had served at least half of their sentences and had good behaviour records, the report said.
The scheme was designed to “encourage prisoners to repent and give them a positive message to help them change”, the official said, adding that it was a way for “society to teach and influence the inmates with affection”.
The Lunar New Year is the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar and is traditionally regarded as a time for family reunions.