Amendment simplifying classification of prisons approved

The interim government headed by Prime Minister Jiří Rusnok on Wednesday approved an amendment aimed at simplifying the penitentiary system. Under the proposal, different categories of prisons, ranging from low to maximum security, would be reduced from four to two. Those who committed serious crimes would remain under high security, while punishment for lesser crimes would be served in prisons with less strict regimes. Reforms in the penal code are meant to bring the Czech Republic closer to Western European counterparts.