A sense of the ordinary from behind bars

An inmate enjoys a light moment with a corrections officer over a sandbox in Beijing Women's Prison on March 5. PHOTOS BY CUI MENG / CHINA DAILY

Help at hand

But technology is not always the answer. Sometimes inmates still need human interaction. Psychological counseling is offered in a room known as the Cocoon Bar.

He Miao, 33, who is serving life for murder, said the space, which has scenic photos on the walls, pictures of flowers on the floor and no iron bars on the door, is a "haven" when she feels troubled.

Wang Ying, 33, also said she often visits the "bar" when she feels down. She has a 7-year-old son, but her husband divorced her when she was sent to prison.

Choking back tears, she said: "My ex broke up with me when I came here in 2008. We'd known each other since childhood.

"I guessed he might do it, but I never thought it would be so fast," she said with a sigh, as she adjusted her pink glasses to hide her tears.

Wang is serving 15 years for fraud and said the initial pain was deciding if she should tell her son where she really is. "The sentence is long, not only for me, but also for my child."

She sought solace from correction officers at the Cocoon Bar. "I just like sitting there, listening to some light music and talking with the officers," she said.

Senior officer Li said her cellblock has 65 in mates, more than a third of whom are divorced.

An inmate works in Beijing Women's Prison on March 5. PHOTOS BY CUI MENG / CHINA DAILY

"It's hard for us to mediate," she said. "What we can do is provide inmates legal guidance on property distribution and child custody for female inmates, to help protect their rights."

For Liu Yan, a lifer who embezzled 71 million yuan of public funds in 1999, the biggest heartache is the thought she will probably never have children.

"When I was sentenced, I was 30. Now I'm 44. Maybe it's too late for me now," she said. "I've tried to reduce my sentence through good behavior, but I fear such a long sentence has destroyed my dream to be a mother."

China has no policy on whether female prisoners should be provided a chance to have a child, and both inmates and correction officers said authorities need to look at the problem, and soon.

"I still want to have a child when I'm released," said Liu, who will be released on parole in September after punishement mitigation. "After all, I'm a woman."

All inmates except He Miao spoke on condition of using an alias.

caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn