Q8. How to apply for a visit? What is the procedure of it?

Answer:

• The principle of visiting procedure:

1. Go to the reception room, take a number, and finish the “Relative Visitation Application Form”.

2. Go to register window with your identity card to proceed.

3. Register for sending money, items and inspection.

4. Prepare your identity documents and wait for the visit (according to the number’s order).

5. Window visit (your cell phone must be handed over for safekeeping or prohibit to use).

• Required document: National identity card, driving license, household certificate or registered residence certification (for the children above 5 year-olds and without an identity card), passport or other document that can verify your identity (it must contain information like your birthday, identity number, address, photo and others); as for foreigners, they must provide their passport, residentpermit, inbound and outbound certification. There should also be documents that are capable to verify the relationships between visitors and inmates.

Q9. What is the visiting audience and the frequency limitation of inmates?

Answer:

1. For level 4 inmates, principally, they can be visited once per week; for level 3 inmates, they can be visited once every four days; for level 2 inmates, they can be visited once for every three days; for level 1 inmates, they have no visit frequency limitation, but that should not interfere with prisons’ management and discipline; for the other inmates who are not applicable to progressive correction, they can be visited once per week. As for visitors, level 4 inmates can be visited by their relatives. Inmates of level 3 or above can be visited by non-relatives, given that the visits will not interfere with the correctional work.

2. As for the inmates who are also defendants (expected those who are prohibited) or civilly property managed, they can be visited once per day; principally, there is no restriction to their visitors’ identity.

3. For the inmates who are receiving observation and rehabilitation, they can be visited once per week; except that they have a special reason and are approved by their rehabilitation supervisors, their visitors can only be their spouses and blood relatives. However, given that the visits will interfere with the processes of inmates’ observation and rehabilitation, or will compromise inmates’ benefits, there will be a prohibition or restriction to the visits.

4. The inmates who are receiving drug abuser treatment can be visited once per week; and the visitors should be inmates’ close relatives. After they have progressed to the psychological counselling period, they can be visited by nonrelatives, given that the visits have a positive impact to the progress of treatment.

5. The juveniles who are receiving reformatory education, we can be visited twice per week, the visitors can be relatives and friends, but there may be a prohibition given that the visits will interfere with the progress of reformatory education or the juveniles’ benefits

6. There is no frequency restriction to juvenile inmates’ visits, given that the visits will not interfere with the institutions’ management and discipline. The visitors can be relatives and friends, but there may be a prohibition given that the visits will interfere with any investigation or the juvenile inmates’ benefits.

Q10. What is telephone visit? And what is the regulation of it?

Answer:

1. Telephone visit is a special arrangement to address the inmates’ needs that whenever inmates have a special condition and urgently require the communication between them and their close relatives.

2. Acceptable reasons of telephone visit:

• Inmates’ grandparents, parents, spouses or children have a major and critical illness.

• Inmates’ families are impacted by a natural disaster or there are major changes in their families.

• Inmates’ close relatives are unable to visit the inmates in person because of long distance, old age and insufficient vigor, disabilities, too young or financial difficulties.

• Inmates have any other urgent condition that require an immediate contact with their relatives to address the problem.

3. Every telephone visit should be no more than 15 minutes. This restriction is not applicable to the cases that supervisors have granted a prolonged telephone visit due to special reasons.

4. The content of communication should be stick to the application-related issues. During a telephone visit, no one is allowed to use argot or secret language. Foreigners can use the language of their countries or internationally accepted languages.

5. Telephone fee is at inmates’ or the other parties’ own expenses.

Q11. When will inmates be able to send mails after they are imprisoned?

Answer:

1. Except for those who are prohibited to be visited or communicate, inmates are able to send and receive mails after their intake procedures are finished and they are allocated to a ward.

2. All mails should be written in Chinese, and no argot or symbol is allowed. However, the muted or blind inmates are able to use braille. Foreigners or inmates without a nationality can the language of their countries or internationally accepted languages.

Q12. Who can be the receivers of inmates' mails?

Answer:

1. Level 4 inmates can send and receive mails from their relatives. For the inmates of level 3 or above, they can send and receive mails from non-relatives, given that the communication will not interfere with the correctional work.

2. For the inmates who are defendants or civilly property managed, they can send and receive mails from anyone. However, when there is a special reason, the court and public procurators may restrict the inmates that they can only send and receive mails from their relatives.

3. The inmates who are receiving drug abuser treatment can send and receive mails from their relatives. After they have progressed to the psychological counselling period, they can send and receive mails from non-relatives, given that the communications will facilitate the progress of treatment and are granted by the wardens of the institutions.

4. The inmates who are receiving observation and rehabilitation can only send and receive mails from their spouses and blood relatives. However, if there is a special reason and is granted by the treatment center supervisors, the inmates can send and receive mails from others. There will be a prohibition of mail exchanges if they have a negative impact to the inmates’ observation and rehabilitation treatment or the inmates’ benefits.

5. Juvenile inmates can send and receive mails from their relatives and friends.

6. Juvenile inmates of reformatory education and the students of juvenile correctional schools can send and receive mails from their relatives and friends. There will be a prohibition of mail exchanges if they have a negative impact to the progress of reformatory education or the students’ benefits.