(Translator’s Note: River Crab, a substitute for the similarly pronounced Harmony (和谐/héxiè), is used by Chinese netizens as a euphemism for censorship. In addition, a “harmonious society” was a goal raised by Hu Jintao; ironically, it was used by the regime to justify suppression of people’s voices in the name of social order.)

A Forced “Job Transfer”

On March 25, 2021, the police forcibly “transferred” my job (animal training) into a detention center and then a prison. The reason, they claimed, was my investigation into corruption in the nine-year compulsory education system, participation in a global online commemoration of June 4 (as the only domestic participant who evaded surveillance and joined the live session), sending postcards to inmates of conscience during the Chinese New Year, and active involvement in Ai Weiwei’s “Remembrance” campaign to mark the May 12 earthquake anniversary.

However, three other actions particularly enraged the authorities: (Firstly) I am a rebel who managed to escape tight surveillance to arrive at the gates of Nanchong Prison to welcome brother Liu Xianbin upon his release. (Secondly) Despite the police arranging for people to be stationed at my door the night before, I still delivered the banner we gifted to lawyer Lu Siwei to the scene, and made it known worldwide. (Thirdly) Well, I will not tell you all that one; a few friends and brothers and sisters know, and the police probably have an idea too. In any case, there was no choice but to “transfer” my job.

Harvest in Prison: Exposing Corruption and Forced Labor in Prison

The imprisonment this time brought me abundant harvests. Mainly in two major areas. First, the issue of corruption in nine-year compulsory education — since 2010, I have been investigating and researching this under police surveillance and tracking. (Oddly, the surveillance of the Guobao gave me a kind of adrenal rush. )

This time I came to understand even more clearly: a deputy section chief of the Education Division in Pidu District, who had only been in office for a year and a half, took bribes totaling over one million yuan, owned two large residences, and his family possessed more than twenty designer handbags each worth thousands or tens of thousands of yuan.

According to him, this level of severe corruption was commonplace within their circle of a dozen or so officials at the section and deputy section level, simply unspoken rules. The prosecutors tried every means to get him to implicate others, but he remained tight-lipped. His superior had already been transferred to a higher position in Chengdu, and plans were underway to promote him as well, until he got into trouble. If I had not gone to prison, I would never have gotten such clear information. This further proves that China’s nine-year compulsory education is a joke.

Slave Labor in Prison: Blood and Tears of Exploitation

The second major takeaway from this sentence is my growing loathing of slave labor in prison. Inmates suffer immensely. The prison system only does two things: First, it creates white terror through disciplinary centers, solitary confinement units, and enforced standing from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (some cell bosses force inmates to stand until 10:00 p.m.), along with denying access to food purchases. These are examples of torture through corporal punishment, and the goal is to break inmates into submission. Second, it exploits free labor. Inmates work at least 11 hours a day, with weekly totals reaching 63 – 68 hours. The pay is negligible, virtually free labor. (If the task is not completed, even if it is 99.9% complete, I remember one prisoner once missed the target by 0.028%; it still counts as a failure to complete the mission. The daily wage was just 0.33 yuan.)

The prison regulations claim an eight-hour workday, but time is measured to the second. Not a second is wasted. In reality, inmates work 11 hours a day, and even then, many struggle to finish the assigned quota. The brutal correctional officers at Guangyuan Prison squeeze out profits through torture, generating annual profits of over 100 million yuan. Because of this, Guangyuan Prison has gained plenty of “honors” at the provincial and national levels.

While serving my sentence at Guangyuan Prison, I was subjected to three severe punishments.

First Disciplinary Action: Six Months of “Reform” Triggered by a Verbal Dispute

The first punishment occurred when an officer, believing false accusations from inmates tasked with watching others, stripped me of my right to drink water during labor and to write during downtime while waiting for materials (rights previously approved by the last shift’s officer. The new officer revoked them without hesitation. I later realized this was typical: different officers wielded different powers, granting or denying rights depending on time and person.)

When I argued, they claimed I had a bad attitude and damaged the dignity of the officer. I was then framed for improperly installing wire terminals and altering operational procedures on my own accord. As a result, I was subjected to six months of disciplinary reform.

Disciplinary reform has five stages: Reflection, Knowledge & Action, Discipline, Repentance, and Doing Good. These all sound virtuous, seemingly like “serving the people,” but in reality, each stage is like passing through hell, stripping away your dignity, and physically tormenting you. The sole purpose is absolute obedience.

In these five stages, punished inmates are subjected to torture such as forced labor, military posture drills (including standing at attention, marching, turning, squatting, etc.), extreme heat and cold, poor food, foul odors, water deprivation, and brainwashing. Those who dare to resist face beatings (sometimes group beatings), verbal abuse, the tiger bench, solitary confinement, and torture beds.

The labor itself isn’t especially demanding, usually just cleaning areas of 20 to 100 square meters. But the cell boss will torment you to the point of physical exhaustion and emotional pain. They’ll be extremely picky, then bark crude orders at you, even hurl insults. Any slight resistance can lead to a group beating by other inmates, and more serious cases draw punishment from the officers.

Anyone who has experienced military training knows how grueling military postures can be, but here it’s far worse. Cell boss will take turns tormenting you without allowing breaks. In the scorching heat of summer, it feels like your skin is peeling off. In the freezing cold of winter, frostbite on hands, feet, and head is horrific. Ears rot from the cold, hands swell into grotesque blisters, some even ulcerate and ooze yellow fluid, dripping onto the floor during standing drills and leaving filthy stains if the duration is long. Just the sight is enough to chill anyone’s heart. Swollen, frostbitten feet are a rite of passage. In the past, during punishment periods, they didn’t allow padded clothing or shoes until after the winter solstice.

On the topic of food, the portion sizes and quality are one-third less than what ordinary inmates receive. The most unacceptable part is mealtime: only five minutes (previously just three), and you must eat squatting. If they don’t like you, they’ll demand you squat in military posture while eating. The food comes in sealed plastic containers, scalding hot, impossible to finish in three to five minutes, especially in summer. If you don’t finish, you must throw it away. If you refuse, a cell boss will grab your food and dump it in the trash. Breakfast porridge is pathetically small, just 50 to 150 ml. To punish someone, they’ll make the porridge dry.

Bathing and changing clothes were only allowed once every two weeks during my first two to three months there (later changed to once per week). In the summer heat, the stench was unbearable. During one punishment period, it took over forty days before the cell boss in cellblock 7 brought me clean clothes for me to change into. The bedding and pillows, likely unwashed for a year, reeked so badly they either kept you from falling asleep or woke you up in the middle of the night. I only got fresh bedding once after three to four months into my imprisonment.

Water restriction: During my imprisonment this time, in both the detention center and the prison, water was strictly rationed as a form of abuse. You only got hot water after breakfast, lunch, and dinner (after I protested, they added two more times). In summer, the water was scalding; in winter, it was ice cold. I wanted my porridge in the morning to be slightly more watery, but it ended up being dry.

Brainwashing Sessions: There are three sessions daily: 9–11 a.m., 2–5 p.m., which are times for conversations with the cell boss individually. Then, from around 7–8:30 p.m., inmates must submit written “reflections.” The real purpose of all this is to force you to “pass the checkpoint” by admitting guilt and repenting. If you refuse to obey, verbal abuse and intimidation from the officers are routine.

Second Disciplinary Action: 20 Days in Solitary for Defending My Rights

The second disciplinary action came because I reported a situation to the prison leadership to safeguard my rights, and they felt I had embarrassed them, so they incited the cell boss to beat and insult me. It happened 19 months into my imprisonment. The complaint was because the amount and quality of food was being withheld, the quality of life was terrible, and my health was deteriorating. The prison used all kinds of illegal excuses to deny me my legal right under the Prison Law to buy food. After a 48-hour fast and prayer, they sent me to the solitary confinement unit in cellblock 10 for 20 days.

Life in solitary confinement is like entering a dark, hellish nightmare, living felt worse than death.

There are 16 tiny cells (each housing one person): Numbers 3–10 on the left, 13–20 on the right, two rows facing each other, eight per side. Within those, cell No. 3 is the torture room with a punishment bed. Each solitary cell is split into two sections, front and back, totaling about 10 square meters. The front space, roughly 3 meters long by 2 meters wide (6 square meters total), is where the inmate stays.

The iron door has two openings:

• One for food and water (about 15 cm high × 25 cm wide), if a correctional officer or cell boss is upset, it is opened only to deliver 3 meals of food and water.
• The other (about 15 cm high × 18 cm wide) is for ventilation; typically, this one can be opened often unless a guard or cell boss happens to get angry and chooses to shut it.

Two openings are installed on the iron door at approximately 1.5 meters and 1 meter from the ground. In the back right corner of the solitary cell are a floor toilet and a washbasin, placed side by side. On the ceiling near the front center is a high-definition audio and video surveillance camera (the officers claimed it could pick up even the sound of a needle falling). On the front right wall is a speaker and a fire alarm sensor. Above the door inside the room is a television that, according to the officers, has never been turned on. The walls are 4 meters high. From 3 to 4 meters up, they are standard walls; below 1 meter, they are padded with black leather and foam. Between 1 to 3 meters high, they are wrapped with gray canvas and foam. These coverings are arranged in an interlocking pattern, like Tetris blocks. The stated purpose is to prevent inmates from self-harm or suicide.

The ceiling has a 1-watt energy-saving bulb. After spending a long time in this dim environment, stepping outside into sunlight causes dizziness, and you don’t dare to even open your eyes. The rear compartment of the room is about 4 square meters (2 meters by 2 meters). In the middle of the rear wall, 2 meters above the ground, is a window measuring 1×1.5 meters. There is also a fully sealed transparent glass window and a roof light (1×1 meters) in the center of the ceiling. Another high-definition surveillance camera is mounted at the top of the rear wall. Officers refer to this space as the “exercise yard.” The front and back rooms are separated by a wall, all entirely wrapped in black leather. Guards jokingly refer to this setup as a “luxury cell.”

Conditions in Solitary: Wake-up is at 6:00 a.m. Bedding (a sheet, quilt — two in winter, one otherwise — and mattress), issued the night before at around 8:30 p.m., must be folded. Around 6:30, officers or cell bosses partially open the door to collect these items. Then, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and breakfast are handed out. Towels are prohibited. The water valve is opened by the cell bosses so inmates can wash up. Breakfast follows: one steamed bun, about 150 ml of porridge, and a small portion of pickled vegetables. The day after, a hard-boiled egg is provided.

Washing and eating should take three to five minutes total. If you’re even a little slow, the cell boss will shout at you to hurry up. Talking back even slightly leads to a barrage of insults. After breakfast, there’s sometimes a mandatory brainwashing broadcast (always Fudan University’s Zhang Weiwei giving his speech “This Is China”). Writing or reading is not allowed, there are no books, no pen or paper, and even if there were, you couldn’t see them clearly in the dim light. No stools, no cushions, only the floor to sit on.

Until around 10:30 –11:00, inmates are allowed into the rear exercise yard for about 30 minutes. Lunch is served between 11:30 and 12:00. All three daily meals are provided in plastic containers holding 1000 –1200 ml, split into two compartments, one for rice and one for dishes. Every other day at lunch, there are 3 – 4 slices of meat (each about 4 cm long, 2 cm wide, and 0.2 cm thick). On Saturdays, lunch includes stir-fried tomatoes and scrambled eggs. The rice is usually plentiful, but if the cell bosses or officers are in a bad mood, portions are reduced, and the rice appears yellow.

After lunch, inmates may sit on the ground and nap lightly, but by 14:00, sleeping is no longer allowed. There’s another brief yard time from 16:30 – 17:00. Dinner is from 18:00 –18:30, typically vegetables whose quantity depends on market price. The staple is rice, and the amount is just enough for someone like me. For young and physically strong inmates, it is definitely insufficient. On Saturday nights, two steamed buns, 300–450 ml of porridge, and a small portion of pickled vegetables are served.

At 20:00 – 20:30, the bedding sheet, quilt, and mattress are redistributed. (I didn’t have a mattress when I was first put in solitary confinement and was only given two quilts to use as bedding.) Inmates may then wash up using the toothbrush and toothpaste they bought themselves; towels are banned from use. The water provided is always cold and runs for only 1–2 minutes. If you’re quick, you might wash your feet. If you do not plan properly, you’ll only manage to brush your teeth or splash your face with water.

During solitary confinement, showers are allowed once every two weeks, with one chance for a change of clothes. Shoes cannot be changed, let alone let you wear your socks. The resulting stench over time is, as you can imagine. If the officers of the cell block treat you well, they might bring extra clothing upon request if you tell them it’s cold. But for someone like me, even with requests, no additional clothes were ever delivered. In winter, you simply have to endure the cold. Bathing is, of course, not permitted. And then, as required, after washing up, you lay out your bedding closest to the toilet pit and cover yourself with a quilt. Sleep is not permitted until 22:00.