Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book features three case studies, namely the prison systems of China's northwestern province-level units, Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang. One of the more provocative recent studies on punishment in China has been written by Michael R. Dutton. His 1992 book Policing and Punishment in China is largely theoretical. The fact that the three systems developed so differently tells us something about China: that, whatever the center may wish, the result is far from a homogeneous polity. Although the Manchus generally restricted Han immigration into frontier areas, northern Xinjiang was something of an exception. The main purpose of the prison system is always supposed to be neither punishment nor material output, but rather the spiritual transformation of miscreants and their conversion into productive, socially responsible citizens.