China vows closer eye on convicts in community service programs

China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) will round up convicts who have taken advantage of community service programs to roam free.

Between mid-April and late July, prosecutors will audit the number of convicts in community service programs and bring back escapees. The campaign will pay special attention to repeat offenses committed during service, according to an SPP statement released Thursday.

"Supervision and management of community correction services have been slack in some areas, giving some convicts opportunities to escape their sentences and disappear," said SPP spokesman Xiao Wei.

The campaign will also focus on law enforcement personnel who fail in their duties or abuse their positions while monitoring convicts.

Xiao stressed that changes to community service sentences must be double-checked on a case-by-case, person-by-person basis, with a special focus on prison terms that are temporarily changed to out-of-prison service due to medical or other reasons.

"Those responsible for negligence or intentional malpractice must be pursued, and problems in the alteration and implementation of sentences must be rectified," Xiao said. Endi