Committee gains trust of detainees

In the detention center in Wuhu city of Anhui province, where a complaints mechanism has been established for inmates, Xia Wei, a local lawyer, has been playing a role that could be called an advocate for inmates.

Xia is a member of a committee set up by center authority to deal with inmates' complicated complaints or their appeals against solutions delivered by authorities to former complaints.

The committee has gained respect and trust from inmates by effectively addressing their complaints and concerns, Xia said.

A detainee surnamed Lu made a complaint claiming a police officer at the center had physically abused him when mediating a conflict between Lu and another inmate.

The committee sent two members to probe the complaint and found the officer did act inappropriately and was not suitable for the work.

The local public security bureau later transferred the officer to another post based on the committee's suggestion, according to Xia.

The committee sometimes also needs to take care of other kinds of subjects, Xia said.

"We have held a meeting to specifically discuss the appropriate locations for complaints boxes at the detention center," she told China Daily.

After a fierce debate, the committee decided the boxes should be placed beside the door of each cell, so that inmates could put their complaints into the box without being noticed and thus protect their privacy, she said.

Even the tableware has become an issue for Xia and her fellow committee members.

A complaint said the plastic tableware that had been used in the center was harmful to inmates' health. The committee then urged center authorities to show inmates the sanitary and quality certificates of the tableware, and the concern disappeared.