Crime, Punishment, and the Prison in Modern China, 1895-1949

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Based on extensive research and newly discovered sources, this work examines the radical changes in Chinese society during the early twentieth century through the lens of the prison system. It delves into the profound effects of Western models of repentance and rehabilitation on traditional Chinese concepts of crime and punishment. Prisons reflect societal notions of law, individual rights, and human nature, revealing significant transformations in China from 1895 to 1949. The author identifies penal reform as a modern tool aimed at achieving a Chinese vision of social cohesion and virtue. Modernizing elites believed that reforming criminals was essential for national regeneration, linking good order, economic development, and state power to the creation of obedient subjects. This account of the evolution of Chinese penal theory is complemented by a vivid portrayal of daily life in prisons, featuring petty criminals, abusive guards, ambitious wardens, and idealist reformers. It captures China's complex transition from empire to republic to communist state, highlighting the intricate interplay between societal change and the penal system during a tumultuous period.