ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing volume thought on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapter. Prisons are a necessary evil. Every instance of imprisonment is a human tragedy. It represents a human failing, perhaps on the part of the individual, perhaps on the part of society, and very likely of both. China's prison system over the years is not its large size or the productivity of the prisons, but the substantial number of prisoners who do not belong there, and the harshness of the conditions in the less well managed institutions. The differences among the various provincial prison systems are at least as stark as are the differences between China's overall prison system and, say, those of other third-world countries. Xinjiang prison official guard treats the prisoners as human beings. Guard never mistreats the prisoners. Beating, scolding, and physical punishment are forbidden. This chapter conclusion has been relied upon Chinese government statistics, supplemented by interviews with former prisoners.
