Online Fury at Life of Luxury in Prisons
Online photos of luxurious prisons have infuriated some netizens. From Southern China Morning Post:
Mainland internet users are up in arms after pictures of a series of luxurious new prisons were posted online this week, a stark contrast to the shabbily built “tofu” schools that collapsed in last year’s Sichuan earthquake trapping more than 5,000 children.
The pick of the bunch was Yancheng prison in Jiangsu , whose main building borrowed from the design of the White House. It also contained a conference hall, plush offices and a sports field complete with a running track.
[...] Many internet users were shocked that inmates, especially corrupt cadres, were confined in such luxury. Others noted that the officials, notoriously keen to feather their nest, also appeared to have been prepared for when they got caught.
“I couldn’t have imagined the jails were so comfortable that I would like to spend my holidays there,” one wrote. “Those luxury prisons are outstanding and their environment, with lush lawns and gardens, are much better than many luxury apartments.”
A spokesman from Yancheng prison confirmed the pictures were taken inside the institution, but he explained that the comfortable environment could accelerate inmates’ reform through labour. Meanwhile, the Prison Administrative Bureau in Beijing said all prisons were built according to guidelines, the Beijing News reported.
Tingting at chinaSMACK has reposted some of these photos with commentary. A brief selection:
