The prison tours are designed to give government officials an introduction to what awaits them if they should engage in corruption. The tours include meet-and-greets with former government officials who were caught for corruption and sentenced to jail.
The tours were arranged for 70 Chinese officials, and their spouses. The couples spent the day in the prison and met with some 15 different former government officials who are now serving time.
Tackling corruption has become one of President Xi Jingping’s central goals. The government has launched a massive effort to crack down on graft, and the common acceptance of bribes.
The stiff medicine has actually been felt at the micro-level economic level in China, which consumer consumption dropping as the egress of officials has also dropped.
In 2014, Bank of America Merrill Lynch estimated that China’s anti-corruption efforts were costing the economy $100 billion dollars per year.
The short-term pain, however, could be justified by long-term gains. Corruption has resulted in huge sums of money being wasted on pet projects, and may be stunting the growth of smaller market oriented businesses.
Market restrictions could also be decreasing the efficiency of markets, thus resulting in less productive businesses.
China’s Big Prison Population
China has the world’s second largest prison population, with 1.657 million people locked up behind bars. This trails only the United States, with its 2.217 million people locked up.
As economic development continues and laws are enforced more aggressively, however, it’s possible that China’s prison population will grow.
China is also the world’s top executioner, with thousands believed to be executed each year. Official numbers are unknown, but Amnesty International believes that China executes more people than the rest of the world combined.
