Social Control and Recidivism in China

• NCJ Number: 172532
• Journal: Journal of Contemporary Justice Volume: 14 Issue: 3 Dated: (August 1998) Pages: 281-295
• Author(s): X Deng; L Zhang; A Cordilia
• Date Published: 1998
• Length: 15 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

China has low recidivism rates compared to the United States, and contributing factors to these low recidivism rates are examined in terms of Chinese culture, major principles of offender reform, and informal social control mechanisms.

Abstract

The reintegrative shaming theory of Braithwaite argues that recidivism can be reduced if society condemns the deviant act and offers routes to reacceptance into conventional society, and there is strong evidence of this theory's applicability in the context of Chinese cultural traditions. Although China has gone through tremendous changes since the 1950s, the country can still be characterized as a communitarian society with conditions favorable to offender reintegration. A review of Chinese cultural traditions and contemporary conditions identifies various social factors contribute to low recidivism rates in the country and indicates informal social control mechanisms still thrive within formal social control structures. China is a relationship-based society in which individuals are connected by networks, and the distinction between private life and public life tends to be blurred. In contrast to the western tradition of individual responsibility, there is a strong tradition of collective responsibility in China that serves to deter deviance. Further, Chinese prisons are conceived of as places to re-educate and reform people, many Chinese rehabilitation techniques are based on persuasion with sincerity and love, and reform through labor is an essential part of Chinese correctional policies. Informal social control in contemporary China is a continuation of traditional patterns of Chinese social control. The link between China's system of informal social control and several important formal institutions, such as the Chinese Communist Party, and social correlates of recidivism in China are discussed. 41 references, 5 notes, and 4 tables