Senior leader urges all-out efforts to reeducate, reform prisoners for harmony

BEIJING, April 9 (Xinhua) -- A senior leader with the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Friday called for an all-out effort to reeducate and reform the nation's prisoners into law-abiding "new people" for social harmony.

Zhou Yongkang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with representatives of excellent prison and labor camp administration officers and workers across the country.

Zhou stressed reeducation and reform must be aimed at defusing disharmonious elements in society and fortifying harmonious elements to the maximum extent possible.

Strategic opportunities for China's development currently abound, but the nation is also facing increasing social problems, Zhou said.

It is the common responsibility of jails and labor camps, and judiciary and law enforcement departments, as well as society, to reeducate and reform prisoners, Zhou added.

Zhou said education in legal, psychological, emotional and cultural aspects, as well as vocational training, must be strengthened.

Society must also try to help released prisoners solve their problems and return to society, Zhou said.

Also on Friday, minister of justice Wu Aiying said the country will lay down more detailed work standards for prison police to promote just and incorruptible law enforcement.

"Detailed criteria for law enforcement should exist for every aspect and stage of police officers' work and in responding to emergencies," Wu said at a meeting for police working in jails and labor camps.

Wu urged prisoners' and detainees' rights be "faithfully" upheld in civil law enforcement.

Statistics show China has 350,000 police personnel working in prisons and labor camps.

Last year, for the first time, the ministry held training programs for all prison and labor camp principals to boost prison management.