Series of Articles Examines “Prison Bully” Problem

【牢头狱霸之治】牢中生死录

Southern Weekend, 2009-03-26

Southern Weekend, a progressive weekly news magazine, published a series of articles examining the root causes behind China's “prison bully” problem highlighted by the recent “hide-and-seek” prison death scandal. Two articles follow the life and death struggles of inmates who themselves became “cell bosses” and exposes the inner-workings of a brutal prison culture facilitated by official permissiveness. Another article interviews Wang Shunan, law professor at China University of Political Science and Law, who cites budget, manning and management problems, as well as police investigation tactics—including the deliberate use of inmate violence to force confessions from suspects—as underlying causes. Wang thinks any meaningful solution must include: placing prisons and detention centers directly under the Ministry of Justice, not the Public Security Bureau; isolating convicted inmates from suspects temporarily in police custody; and enhancing independent oversight.