The Late Qing Dynasty Prison Improvement Research

At the end of Qing Dynasty, the prison career which had been neglected for a long time was been put in the planning program of New Deal and Constitutionalism, so the prison reformation began. The paper uses the background, content, evaluation of the reformation as main line to show the minor details of the history to readers and provide more historical reference for today’s prison career.Chapter one explains the background of the reformation, particularly from the following aspects:(1) The first part discusses the uncivilized phenomenon of traditional Chinese prison and the idea behind it. Traditional prison is dark, which called a’killing machine’. Prison institution is not independent, the imperial power is supreme, noble privilege is protected, so prison is the border of life and death in common people’s heart. In fact prison is to consolidate the emperor’s dominant position. The traditional prison nowhere doesn’t reflect Confucian thought.(2) The second part discusses the advanced prison reformation thought in the era of domestic trouble and foreigners’invading. Wars enlightened people’s eyes to see the world, they go abroad to study foreigner’s investigation. They visit western prisons, record and appeal.(3) The third part discusses the western advanced thought and system of prison was introduced to China. Advanced western ideas and prison systems were introduced into China, foreigners in the concession established a judicial system, including prison. Concession-prison attracted more people calling for reformation.Chapter two explains the content of the reformation at the end of Qing Dynasty:(1)Legislative-construction:Japanese scholars drafted out’the Qing prison law’, which is the first independent prison code in the history of China.(2) Mod el-prison: Government leaders learn Japan and other countries’prison style to build the new model prison and set a series of prison management system.(3)Talent-management:The new prison need new talents to manage, so the law school and complete selection of professional trainings are founded.Chapter three explains the significance of the reformation. Although the reformation was restricted to social conditions at that time and most of new idea could not come true, it had important influence on later prison career in Republic China. The ending part is about the hope to development of current socialist prison career.