Life Imprisonment System in China

Abstract

China has added to its current Criminal Code a system of life imprisonment without commutation of sentence or parole, which is applicable only to death-row offenders convicted of particularly serious corruption and bribery offences. The creation of the system of life imprisonment is conducive to reducing the public's superstitious belief in the death penalty, thereby advancing the progress of its abolition; however, because the relevant legislation is not yet mature, there is great controversy in theoretical circles over the nature, application methods and scope of the system of life imprisonment. In order to improve China's current life imprisonment system, it is necessary, at the legislative level, to specify in detail the conditions and methods of application of the life imprisonment system, and, at the judicial level, to make full use of global information technology to improve the prison management system and raise the level of medical care for offenders.