Prisons use embroidery to rehabilitate inmates

Prison guard Zheng Tianxiao now begins his shift carrying a set of needles and thread for embroidery, a mind-soothing activity that inmates at Kenhua Prison, located about 150 kilometers from downtown Beijing, have been participating in recently.

The prison houses male inmates serving long sentences for violent crimes, drug trafficking and fraud. Many of them tend to lose their sense of purpose upon arrival.

"They often resist efforts to rehabilitate them," Zheng told Xinhua. "Embroidery offers a means for them to restore discipline and hone their concentration."

Across China, many prisons have introduced traditional embroidery into their rehabilitation programs in recent years to encourage reflection and self-improvement, one stitch at a time.

The Beijing prison took the concept a step further by combining embroidery with mindfulness training in an effort to amplify the rehabilitative benefits of both practices.

"Violence often stems from emotional dysregulation," said Cao Guangjian, a senior correctional psychologist at the Beijing Bureau of Prison Administration. "Mindfulness helps inmates break free from negative thoughts and teaches them to create space between stimulus and response."

For more than a decade, mindfulness has been a key part of Beijing's prison education and rehabilitation programs. Over 30,000 prisoners have taken part in such training, demonstrating improved emotional management and significant reductions in aggressive behavior, according to official data.

Zheng, who also serves as a mindfulness instructor, was inspired by a visit to an embroidery exhibition earlier this year, where he found a unique connection between the meticulous rhythm of stitching and the principles of mindfulness.

"Both require complete concentration on the present moment," Zheng explained.

After studying various traditional Chinese embroidery styles, Zheng chose tiaohua, a national-level intangible cultural heritage known for its relatively simple yet intricate technique.

Zheng and his colleagues then spent weeks searching for ways to eliminate injury risks. They opted for child-safe plastic needles, which are soft and flexible.

"These needles flex upon contact with skin," Zheng said. "There's no risk of causing injury."

The embroidery session functions as an interest group supplementing regular labor and education schedules. More than 100 inmates have attended 84 sessions under Zheng's supervision.

An inmate using the pseudonym Qing, who is serving a 16-year sentence for his involvement in organized crime, was one of the first to join the program. At first, he was skeptical and impatient.

"Mistakes made me furious," he said with an embarrassed half-laugh as he recalled his early resistance. "I would rather haul bricks than hold a needle."

With patient guidance by Zheng and his colleagues, Qing finished his first piece in just a week — a vibrantly colored parrot keychain.

"For the first time, I was filled with the sense of accomplishment," he said.

Once notorious for his explosive temper, Qing used to lash out at guards and fellow inmates.

"Back then, I handled everything with my fists," he explained. "Now, I take a deep breath and try to stay in control."

In the same cell block, another inmate using the pseudonym Fang was the first to complete an embroidery project — a white rabbit cradling a large bouquet of sunflowers.

Fang, who is serving a life sentence, presented it to his mother as his very first Mother's Day gift in May. Not long after, he took on an even greater challenge, embroidering a phoenix rising from the ashes. This task will take him about eight months to complete and requires 170,000 stitches.

"True rehabilitation is rising from the fire like the phoenix," Fang said.

During the initial stages, inmates followed pre-designed patterns provided by the prison. Now, they're encouraged to create original works, Zheng added.

Deputy Warden Chao Kai sees this approach as a break from traditional reform methods.

"Compared to conventional education, 'mindfulness+ cultural heritage' programs encourage active participation from both the prisoners and the guards."

Expanding beyond embroidery, Kenhua now integrates clay sculpturing, tie-dye art, dragon dancing and grain painting with mindfulness training.

Advances in psychological research in China have bolstered evidence-based approaches to offender rehabilitation, said Liu Xinghua, a professor of psychology at Peking University and a longtime adviser to mindfulness programs within Beijing's correctional system.

"Prisons are enhancing rehabilitation protocols through both scientific and humanistic approaches, with an increased focus on post-release social reintegration," Liu said.

Next month, Kenhua plans to invite certified intangible cultural heritage practitioners to offer advanced training to the inmates so that they will be equipped with marketable skills they can use after their release.

"Our vision is to transform inmates' sentences into 'semesters,'" said Le Chengzhang, head of public affairs at the Beijing Bureau of Prison Administration. "Through corrective education, we encourage remorse and empower individuals to become contributing members of society."

When asked what he would tell his younger self, before the mistakes he made and the detours he took from a constructive path, Qing leaned back briefly, lowered his head and blinked rapidly as he gathered his thoughts.

After a moment of silence, he said, "Life is so short. Try to be someone who does some good in the world."

Xinhua