The Laogai is the vast labor reform system in the People's Republic of China. The Laogai was created by the Chinese Communist Party under Mao Zedong, yet it still serves the one-party dictatorship as the primary instrument for detaining political dissidents and penal criminals. The two major aims of the Laogai are to use all prisoners as a source of cheap labor for the communist regime and to "reform criminals" through hard labor and compulsory political indoctrination. According to the official definition of the Laogai system, there are six main components:
-- Reform Through Labor Detachments (Laogai or laodong gaizao dui)
According to original Chinese Criminal Law Codes, these facilities are to house criminals who have received formal conviction and sentencing in a Chinese court.
-- Prisons (Jianyu)
Serving the same function as Reform Through Labor Detachments, some facilities to house formally sentenced criminals are called "prisons." Conditions are the same in both types of facilities regardless of the name.
-- Reeducation Through Labor Facilities (laojiao or laodong jiaoyang suo)
House prisoners who receive "administrative discipline" and are sentenced for up to three years by Chinese police or other security officials. These individuals have received no charges or formal court hearing.
-- Detention Centers (Kanshou suo)
Include convicts who receive trial and are formally sentenced to shorter terms, individuals who are awaiting trial, and those formally sentenced to death who are awaiting execution.
-- Juvenile Offender Facilities (Shaoguan suo)
House adolescent convicts or reeducation through labor detainees.
-- Forced Job Placement Personnel (liuchang jiuye renyuan)
These facilities are for individuals who have served out their original sentences but they are determined "not completely reformed." Therefore, they are required to remain on the same facility, facing the same conditions and performing the same job they performed as criminals.
Laogai!!!
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