In the process of moving the country's prisons from remote, mountainous areas to city suburbs, China will classify its 670 prisons and jails by security levels to optimize prison resources and to guarantee perpetrators of felonies and misdemeanors are all properly incarcerated.

"Prisons will be designed and classified into three categories: maximum security, medium security and minimum security," said Fan Fangping, vice-minister of Justice, on Monday.

According to Fan, following practices in western countries, maximum security prisons in China will incarcerate inmates who have been sentenced to a jail term of more than 15 years, life imprisonment, a death sentence with reprieval, and those on death roll. Recidivists or other individuals charged with violent or destructive crimes will also be held in these prisons.

Medium security prisons will take those who are sentenced to prison terms of less than 15 years.

Minimum security prisons will be for offenders of lesser crimes, first-time offenders and those less prone to violent personal attacks.

Inmates will be assessed by special commissions on the risks they may pose to prison management and their rehabilitative improvement performances, which could determine their progression through the various custody levels to minimum custody and eventual release, Fan said.

Those who behave well and stay in minimum security prisons may enjoy more freedom in communications, meeting family and friends, sports and recreational activities and even annual vacations inside the jail.

"Such accommodations will help inmates better adapt to society upon release," Fang said.

There are 1.5 million inmates housed in the country's 670 prisons, many of whom are in remote regions. China has undertaken a massive relocation program to move them closer to cities to facilitate management and family visits.

(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2005)