Recently, a lawsuit alleging the abuse of prisoners in Qingyuan Prison in Guangdong Province has sparked public attention. The prison implements high-pressure management, normalizes strict control, and even resorts to using 30-pound heavy shackles as a cruel punishment against inmates.
According to reports from rights advocacy websites, a victim of an illegal fundraising case in Shenzhen and a Christian named Zhu Chunlin, endured horrifying physical punishment and abuse multiple times during his time in Qingyuan Prison. He was subjected to continuous torture with handcuffs and heavy ankle shackles for 20 days. The full text of the lawsuit was recently published by the rights advocacy website, alleging that this is another crime of the Chinese judicial authorities abusing instruments of torture to violate human rights. Zhu Chunlin, the victim, provided detailed accounts of the abuse in the lawsuit, naming the perpetrators and urging relevant authorities to investigate.
On September 24, Zhu Chunlin posted a whistleblower letter on Weibo. He reported the regular implementation of strict control measures towards inmates in Qingyuan Prison in Guangdong Province, including the illegal use of restraints on him for twenty days.
The strict control measures among inmates, known as “target practice,” involve leaders, quality inspectors, deliverymen, and so-called master inmates and prison police registering at the duty station before the end of each workday. In line during collective meals, inmates under strict control must wait till the end to fetch their meals. During lunch breaks, they are not allowed to rest or sleep and are forced to stand in the corridors. In the evening, during free activity time after the assembly, inmates under strict control are also made to stand, often in the function hall or outdoor playground downstairs.
These practices are normalized and carried out regularly, with little to no respite. Zhu Chunlin recalls being forced to stand in the frozen outdoor playground during winter.
It is noteworthy that some inmates are given authority by the police to mistreat other inmates. Those with good relationships with the police are promoted to managerial roles. In January 2019, as the weather warmed in Guangzhou, Zhu Chunlin, like others, switched to sandals. However, he was placed on a list by the head of one section, and in the afternoon, it was announced that he would be restrained with handcuffs and ankle shackles.
The ankle shackles were particularly heavy, weighing around 15 kilograms, consisting of two locked iron rings connected by three iron balls. For some time after being restrained, Zhu Chunlin had to drag the heavy ankle shackles with difficulty.
He described, “They shackled my ankles with two iron rings locked at the ankle. From then on, I could only walk with great difficulty dragging the heavy shackles. Accompanied by inmates they assigned, I struggled through each day, whether going to the workshop or returning to the dormitory. I could only drag step by step, often feeling unable to move, then I had to lift the three iron balls in the middle with my hands so my feet could move, requiring me to bend over, holding them with both hands. Moreover, navigating stairs became even more challenging, having to rest several times midway, being extra cautious to prevent tripping or falling, which would have led to leg injuries. The physical pain and mental anguish brought by this torment are indescribable.”
It was revealed that the Deputy Warden of Unit 15, Bao Shengdong, enforced high-pressure management in the facility and disregarded the issues raised by Zhu Chunlin. He even publicly declared at one point during a unit meeting: “This is how it’s going to be. No matter who complains, it doesn’t matter.” After 20 days, Zhu Chunlin had the restraints removed, but his feet remained in pain for a long time afterward. The humiliation and physical and mental harm caused by the incident remain unforgettable for him.
When contacted by reporters to inquire about the situation, Zhu Chunlin verified that the content posted on Weibo was from him and that everything reflected in the post was factual. The whistleblower letter was sent by postal express to the Guangdong Procuratorate on the 24th, with hopes that his wrongful conviction and the abuse in the prison would receive fair and just treatment.
Zhu Chunlin’s situation is not an isolated case. It was revealed that some inmates endured wearing restraints for much longer periods, even for over a month. Some prisoners were shackled for two to three days, while even elderly individuals were subjected to restraints. Those who were seen as disobedient or had disputes with the police were immediately applied with handcuffs and ankle shackles.
“They didn’t escape, they didn’t hit anyone, just had a quarrel, why resort to such measures? Criticize or educate them a little, deduct some points in the assessment if needed. But to shackle them? Zhu Chunlin mentioned that according to the Prison Law, restraints should only be used in cases of fleeing, violence, or endangering behaviors.
Public records indicate that Qingyuan Prison was established in January 1952, initially named Qingyuan County Public Security Bureau Labor Reform Branch Public Security Mining Site. In August 1995, it was renamed and became part of the Guangdong Provincial Prison Administration. Currently, it comprises fourteen office departments, fifteen units, and a prison hospital.
Zhu Chunlin revealed that there are thousands of inmates in several units of Qingyuan Prison, almost tens of thousands in total, who work nine and a half to ten hours a day on weekdays, with short lunch breaks and early morning starts. The unit he was in primarily produced clothes, with an average monthly salary of only a few tens of dollars. Due to the heavy workload, failing to complete tasks results in point deductions, making it difficult for many to reduce their sentences. Zhu Chunlin was sentenced to six years in prison (two years in detention, four in prison) due to his involvement in an illegal fundraising case, without receiving any sentence reduction.
In May 2017, he was transferred from Bao’an District Detention Center in Shenzhen to Qingyuan Prison in Guangdong Province, and a month later to Unit 15, Section 1.
Moreover, the Guangdong Provincial Prison Administration has established a system of mutual monitoring groups, consisting of three to five individuals who monitor each other. If anyone in the group fails at supervision, others are also held responsible and face point deductions. Managing inmates is the responsibility of the police and assigning this task to others violates Article 14 of the Prison Law, “illegally entrusting criminal offender management responsibilities to others.”
After his release in June 2021, Zhu Chunlin focused primarily on appealing his wrongful conviction. In March this year, he submitted his appeal materials by post to the Guangdong High Court, which was accepted for review. However, six months have passed without a response.
Legal scholar Li Yuqing, residing in the United States, stated in an interview with Dajiyuan that the unrestrained powers of Chinese Communist Party police officers, especially within closed settings like detention centers and prisons, often result in severe torture, with some individuals even dying as a result. The torture inflicted in Qingyuan Prison not only violates Chinese laws but also international human rights conventions. The United Nations has established minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners.
Li emphasized, “These severe measures of torture are indeed prohibited by law, both by Chinese prison laws and prosecution laws. The Prison Law does not allow for the punishment of the human body; imprisonment only restricts personal freedom but does not permit physical punishment or harm, making such actions unlawful.”
According to Li, the torture within prisons is orchestrated by prison police who instruct the detainees to carry out the abuse. In complying with these orders, the detainees are knowingly causing harm, acting as tools to mistreat others. The police misuse their authority to inflict punishment.
When the Qingyuan Prison office was contacted to inquire about the supervision of inmates, office personnel denied the occurrence of corporal punishment and reaffirmed that fixed working hours were implemented in accordance with national laws. They requested verification of the reporter’s identity and recommended contacting the public relations department for further queries.