Laogai, short for laodong gaizao (劳动改造), which means reform through labor, is a criminal justice system involving the use of penal labor and prison farms in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Láogǎi is different from láojiào, or re-education through labor, which was the abolished administrative detention system for people who were not criminals but had committed minor offenses, and was intended to "reform offenders into law-abiding citizens". Persons who were detained in the laojiao were detained in facilities that were separate from those which comprised the general prison system of the laogai. Both systems, however, were based on penal labor.
Re-education through labor, abbreviated laojiao was a system of administrative detention on mainland China. Active from 1957 to 2013, the system was used to detain persons who were accused of committing minor crimes such as petty theft, prostitution, and trafficking of illegal drugs, as well as political dissidents, petitioners, and Falun Gong followers. It was separated from the much larger laogai system of prison labor camps.
Harry Wu was a Chinese-American human rights activist. Wu spent 19 years in Chinese labor camps, and he became a resident and citizen of the United States. In 1992, he founded the Laogai Research Foundation.
Pingshi Prison is a prison outside Pingshi Town, Lechang City, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China connected to the Guangbei Tea Farm (广北茶场).
Foshan Prison is a prison in the Gaoming District of Foshan City, Guangdong Province, China. It was established as Xijiang Mengjiang Laogai Farm in 1958, and renamed Foshan Prison in 1995. Its inmates once mined ore at the adjacent Fuwan Xijiang Manganese Mine (富湾西江锰矿), whose deposits are now exhausted. They now produce rattan and wool goods.
Panyu Prison is a prison in Huijiang Village (会江村), Dashi Subdistrict, Panyu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
Lianping Prison is a prison in Guangdong province, China, situated in Zhongxin town, Lianping County. It was established as Huiyang Region Liantang Laogai Farm in 1972. It is a large-scale prison where prisoners work in the nearby Lianping Prison Tea Manufacturing Plant (连平监狱制茶厂).
The Laogai Research Foundation is a human rights NGO located in Washington, D.C, United States. The foundation's mission is to "gather information on and raise public awareness of the Laogai—China's extensive system of forced-labor prison camps."
The Wanjia re-education through labor camp is a re-education through labor camp in the People's Republic of China in Heilongjiang province, Daoli District, Harbin City. According to the Laogai Research Foundation, the camp was established in 1984 and is controlled by the Harbin City Judicial Bureau. The camp reportedly also housed Falun Gong practitioners and includes a tailor's shop. In 1993, there were a total of 1,433 prisoners at Wanjia, Yuquan and Changlinzi RTL.
The Laogai Museum is a museum in Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C., United States, which showcases human rights in the People's Republic of China, focusing particularly on Láogǎi, the Chinese prison system of "Reform through Labor". The creation of the museum was spearheaded by Harry Wu, a well-known Chinese dissident who himself served 19 years in laogai prisons; it was supported by the Yahoo! Human Rights Fund. It opened to the public on 12 November 2008, and Wu's non-profit research organization calls it the first museum in the United States to directly address the issue of human rights in China. It is now permanently closed.
Ma'anshan Prison is a prison in Ma'anshan, Anhui, China. It was established in 1964. Formerly known as the Ma'anshan Pipe-casting Works. With funding from the City Metallurgy and Building Materials Bureau, the Magang General Company and the Prov. Ma'anshan Trust jointly managed the creation of the Magang Julong Company. In August 2006 began building a new construction that will hold 3000 inmates, 540 People's Police, and will cover an area of 400.46mu. It will be a high-security, medium-sized prison.
Dongguan Prison is located in the Shilong area of Dongguan, Guangdong, China.