NCJ Number
178679
Date Published
1998
Length
330 pages
Annotation
This book describes the prisons of the northwestern part of the People's Republic of China, primarily as they existed between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s.
Abstract
Based on research in classified documents and extensive interviews with former prisoners, judicial personnel, and other insiders, and featuring case studies that deal with the three northwestern provinces, this book examines the popular beliefs about China's prisons and labor reform camps, so as to present an objective, realistic picture of the situation. The authors conclude that what is striking about China's prison system over the years is not its large size or the economic productivity of prison labor, but rather the substantial number of prisoners who do not belong in custody, and the harshness of the conditions in the less-well-managed institutions. The large-scale incarceration of so many prisoners is due to poorly trained judges, ineffective legal counsel for defendants, and the highly politicized nature of the judiciary. Punishment must always "placate public outrage," which often means satisfying the whims of the party secretary. Crime, especially serious crime, has been declining in China; however, there were some high-profile incidents, such as an airplane hijacking and the murder of a journalist, which galvanized the Party into action. Contrary to official claims that prisoners have been treated humanely, this book documents the physical abuses and brutal exploitation that abound in the prison camps. 21 tables, 5 charts, 443 notes, a 90- item bibliography, a subject index, and appended author commentaries and others' commentaries, as well as regulations for labor reform camps