The Ministry of Justice has punished 27 wardens and sent ten to the court for improperly handling sentence reductions, paroles and releases on bail for medical treatment since May this year.

Of the 1.1 million cases from January 2002 to April this year, malpractice was found in 1,436, said a ministry source on Wednesday when reporting the results of a nationwide inspection.

In several prisons inmates served longer sentences and were mistreated, the source added.

The ministry will continue its inspections, especially against corporal punishment, abuse and maltreatment in prisons, said Zhang Fusen, the minister of justice.

China now has a prison population of 1.5 million in its 670 jails.

The country has been reforming its penal system and updating correctional methods. The ministry started a campaign to educate and train wardens in new methods in July, and more professional psychologists have been introduced into jails since last year.

Continuous efforts are being made to protect the rights of inmates, including the setting up of channels for prisoners to request legal assistance whilst behind bars.

(Xinhua News Agency November 11, 2004)