国内英语新闻:Prisons to open websites for transparency

BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Justice has asked provincial prison administrations to launch websites to publish information about remission, parole and other prison affairs.

The websites, to be launched in a drive to improve transparency, should allow citizens to search for information and make enquiries, according to a statement issued by the ministry on Tuesday.

The ministry also encouraged prison administrations to bring computers into greater use in administrative work, so as to minimize human error and misconduct. All information on inmates should be logged in a database, processed through a computer system and updated regularly so it can be traced and monitored.

The ministry pledged to make clearer to inmates their legal rights and obligations as well as information about their performance assessments and how to apply for remission and parole.

Prisons will also be encouraged to invite third-party supervisors to attend hearings of some high-profile remission and parole cases.