First, this is a kind of punishment in ancient China, which was an insult to the prisoner's personality in ancient times. In ancient China, from the Qin Dynasty, shaving one's head was a punishment, which was called shaving one's hair, beard and sideburns. This is a humiliating punishment, which is intended to degrade the prisoner in personality and attack the prisoner in spirit. This is usually used as an additional punishment for imprisonment.
Second, in fact, shaving prisoners' heads has long been an unwritten management rule in domestic prisons. Because this is not only convenient for prison management (such as hygiene, preventing things from hiding in the hair), but also easy to distinguish. Once the prisoner escapes, it is easy to identify and find the target when he is arrested, even if the criminal wears a disguised wig, it is easy to be seen through. I think it was based on this idea that the necessary measures were taken at the beginning. Balding, like serving a sentence, reflects a punishment for prisoners and warns them not to engage in criminal activities in the future. Humanistic care for prisoners is not reflected in whether they keep their heads bald, but should really care about their reform activities, purify their hearts and help them reintegrate into society and start a new life.
With the progress of judicial civilization, this traditional practice is gradually changing. Haikou, Shanghai and other places have abolished this mandatory provision, and prisoners can keep a wooden head, which also reflects the humanization trend of prison management.
From now on, male prisoners in Shanghai prisons can choose three hairstyles: flat head, inch head and bald head. Recently, the Municipal Prison Administration officially issued the Notice on Prisoners' Choice of Hairstyles, which began to be implemented in prisons and prison general hospitals.
At the beginning of March 2004, the Municipal Prison Administration began to gradually implement ten measures of civilized law enforcement in Shanghai Prison, trying to give prisoners more freedom in the aspects of personality rights, health rights, communication rights, personal legal property rights and learning rights without violating China's criminal law. These ten measures include "prisoners can choose their own hairstyles within the prescribed scope". At the same time, the Municipal Prison Administration also held a hearing on "Ten Measures", which was gradually tried out in various pilot units.