U.S. Teacher: I Did 7 Months Of Forced Labor In A Chinese Jail

[Allon]

Let this be a lesson to you Randy. Don't take the money.

 

 

Prisoner 1741 spent more than seven months inside a jail in southern China, assembling Christmas lights for export to America. Work days stretched up to 10 hours and conditions were tough, he says. One boss used strands of Christmas lights to whip workers and drive production.

 

Stories about forced labor have trickled out of China over the years, but what makes Prisoner 1741's so remarkable is that he isn't Chinese. He's American. In fact, he's a middle-aged, American sociology professor from South Carolina.

 

MORE: http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/05/29/314597050/u-s-teacher-i-did-seven-months-of-forced-labor-in-a-chinese-jail

[Mick]

That was an interesting read for sure. I lived and taught in China for a bit over five years at the university and graduate school level, also in Guangdong Province, but not in Guangzhou. I wonder what motivated this guy to steal from a colleague? It makes me wonder if this was a one-time thing, or I wonder if he did it before but never got caught. For sure he will never look at Christmas lights quite the same as before.

[Thomas Promise]

He was a thief. He got caught. If you can't do the time don't do the crime.

[Allon]

He admits he stole the money but depending on the circumstances, in America he might have just been given time served, or even probation and community service if he rectified the stolen money. We don't know what happened there.

 

He "lived" in a cell the size of a small racquetball court with so many other inmates (30 or so) that they were literally dick to ass when they slept. He worked 10 hours a day, no days off, and made Christmas tree lights that the jail warden sold to American/foreign companies. All legally done in China.

 

What is ironic is the US has more people in prison than any other country. But China also has substitution rules: someone can be paid to do your time, which might be what the sentencing judge expected this guy to do.

[tsap seui]

Hey, at least the inmates were productive....LOL We American's need all the Christmas lights with icles we can get.

 

Gotta say though, I can't picture Randy, or anyone else from Candle who taught school in Chinartucky, doing something as stupid and downright ignorant as to break any laws in China.

 

tsap seui

Edited May 30, 2014 by tsap seui (see edit history)

[credzba]

yeah Tsap, that was my thought.

 

FIRST, never screw over your colleagues.

SECOND, never break laws in a foreign country.

[tsap seui]

yeah Tsap, that was my thought.

 

FIRST, never screw over your colleagues.

SECOND, never break laws in a foreign country.

Almost a no brainer, huh buddy? I hope that clown doesn't expect anyone to pity him. I'll bet he learned his lesson much better in the Chinese jail than he would have learned in an American "prisoners are to be handled with kids gloves because they have all of the rights" jail. There is a good reason American jails have more people....our prisoners don't learn anything during their first time served, so the door swings out....and back in, again and again...3 hots n a cot.

 

tsap seui

[Randy W]

In an area where many stores close for the night by simply hanging a sheet over their stall, and where merchandise (often valuable stuff) is left unguarded, it's nonetheless very easy to convince yourself not to steal ANYTHING.

[Randy W]

This corresponds more to my own experience - http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2014/05/21/stuart_students_wide-507636a26b134ebd8254741d82685dfd7c87c79d-s40-c85.jpg

[Allon]

There is a reason why we have so many in prison here: drugs. A lot of prisons (privately held too) would go out of business if we did not send anyone there for a non-violent crime like having two dope seeds on the carpet. But try that in China and you could get worse than prison. Death is not an uncommon sentence.

 

That'll teach them.

 

My wife has had a leather coat, new purse, and gold bracelet taken from her in daylight by a kid with a knife who followed her home from shopping. She says it's a regular occurrence where she lives. Which happens to be where one of the biggest prisons in China are. Go figure.

[Catherineli]

Randy, You're so tall!!! I saw your picture here kneeling down when being with a bunch of Chinese young people. Only when you're kneeling down on one leg, can you be same height with other Chinese! Great!! Chinese won't worry if the sky will fall down!

[Dennis143]

Randy, You're so tall!!! I saw your picture here kneeling down when being with a bunch of Chinese young people. Only when you're kneeling down on one leg, can you be same height with other Chinese! Great!! Chinese won't worry if the sky will fall down!

YuJie, of course you know that women hold up half the sky?

[griz326]

The man is an admitted thief.

 

"Too bad, so sad, ...." You know the rest.

 

 

He got what he deserved for being both stupid and a thief.

[Randy W]

Randy, You're so tall!!! I saw your picture here kneeling down when being with a bunch of Chinese young people. Only when you're kneeling down on one leg, can you be same height with other Chinese! Great!! Chinese won't worry if the sky will fall down!

 

 

The picture here is not of me - it is of the teacher in the article at a happier time. I'll see if I can find some of my own pictures at school.

[Randy W]

 

Randy, You're so tall!!! I saw your picture here kneeling down when being with a bunch of Chinese young people. Only when you're kneeling down on one leg, can you be same height with other Chinese! Great!! Chinese won't worry if the sky will fall down!

 

 

The picture here is not of me - it is of the teacher in the article at a happier time. I'll see if I can find some of my own pictures at school.

 

 

 

This is me - NOT kneeling - at the English Corner.