"I didn't have any concept of tuberculosis before, but I had heard of tuberculosis ......" In Ah Chao's impression, "tuberculosis" is a terminal disease, so when he knew that he had tuberculosis two years ago, he said that he was "not well".
"All I knew was that tuberculosis was contagious, and it felt like pneumonia. Because he didn't know about tuberculosis and was worried about the side effects of the drug, Huang Dong refused to take the medicine after serving his sentence in prison......
World TB Day is celebrated on 24 March every year. However, there are still many people who do not know about this disease, some talk about it, and some do not care about it.
The No. 8 Prison District of Zhoupu Prison in Shanghai is the only prison in the city that concentrates on male inmates who have recovered from tuberculosis...... A few days ago, this reporter walked into the No. 8 Prison Ward of Zhoupu Prison to see how the inmates who are "not good" and "don't care" are doing now.
A lecture allowed him to let go of his fears
In mid-2021, Ah Chao, who was only in his early twenties, was arrested by the police on suspicion of fraud, and he was already worried about the verdict of the case, and he was also found to have tuberculosis. Unable to accept the sudden changes, Ah Chao was a little confused, and passively accepted all the treatment, "At that time, I was actually very scared and felt very lonely, but I didn't dare to say or ask." ”
Mu Ran's Ah Chao finally waited for the verdict and was sentenced to 3 years and 7 months in prison. The sentence "settled", and a stone fell in Ah Chao's heart, but the fear of tuberculosis still tormented him. This state of affairs continued until the eighth ward of Zhoupu Prison. Ah Chao said.
What is the difference between the No. 8 Prison District of Zhoupu Prison? This reporter learned from Qu Hui, head of the No. 8 Prison District of Zhoupu Prison, that tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis ("tuberculosis bacteria"). Tuberculosis bacteria mainly invade the lungs, called tuberculosis, also known as "tuberculosis" in mainland folk, tuberculosis is mainly transmitted through the respiratory system. For prisons where prisoners are concentrated, isolation and prevention work is particularly important. In 2013, the Tuberculosis Rehabilitation Prison was established in Zhoupu Prison, and the eighth ward of the prison undertook the functions of centralized detention, classified management, standardized treatment, and effective correction for male tuberculosis rehabilitation inmates in the Shanghai prison system.
Cao Zhibin, head of the Life and Health Section, said that inmates who have been diagnosed with tuberculosis will be treated in the prison general hospital, and after the relevant indicators meet the requirements, they will be detained in the eighth ward of Zhoupu Prison to continue to take medicine and consolidate, and undergo regular physical examinations. Once the indicators are fully compliant with the relevant standards, the inmates will be triaged.
"On March 20 this year, the 'Prison Offender Medical Assessment Center' was inaugurated in Zhoupu Prison. One of the major functions of the center is to assess the situation of tuberculosis inmates, which will help the work of drug withdrawal and triage in a more scientific and standardized manner. Cao Zhibin said.
Ah Chao went to the eighth ward of Zhoupu Prison early last year, and when he learned that the prison was detained by inmates with similar medical histories to him, Ah Chao actually felt tolerated. The questions, confusions, and worries about tuberculosis seem to be less difficult to talk about. And the first time Ah Chao "let go" of his fear of tuberculosis was at a lecture.
"I was very impressed by the fact that the police officer invited us a doctor from the CDC, who popularized the knowledge of tuberculosis to us, and also introduced us to the drugs and methods for treating tuberculosis, which made me feel that this disease is not so scary, as long as we follow the doctor's instructions, it can still be cured. Ah Chao recalled seriously, "And usually about the condition and medication, the police officers will have answers, and there are many 'people who have come over' around me, and they will also tell me their treatment experience, and my heart will slowly let go, and my mentality is much better." ”
Ah Chao admitted frankly that in the past, he was always nervous and concerned about the subtle discomforts of his body, such as why he coughed again? There were too many night sweats, was his condition serious again? Thinking crankily all day long, he had no heart to reflect on his sins and mistakes, and he had no time to think about his future. But after slowly gaining a correct understanding of tuberculosis, he began to face everything in front of him.
Reflect on sins and mistakes, take medication regularly, participate in the education and study of the people's police organization, and join the prison band...... After serving nearly a year in prison, Ah Chao's reform life has become more and more regular, and the goal of reform has become clearer.
Worried about the body but resisting to take medicine
Although he accepted the matter of tuberculosis, Ah Chao did not tell his parents the truth, "I am the only child in the family, and serving a prison sentence has made my parents very sad, and I don't want to put more pressure on them because of my illness." ”
Ah Chao was originally engaged in the software programming industry, but because he felt it was too boring, he was attracted by his friends to embark on the "easy, fast money" fraud business. Ah Chao's gang participated in the drainage link in the fraud, and the gang members posted advertisements such as "playing together" and "boosting" on various game platforms, and then, according to different scripts, they "established feelings" with the victims, and then led the victims to relevant video platforms, where the anchor carried out the fraud, and the gang members were shared accordingly.
Not long after Ah Chao arrived at the "company", he became a "management", and most of his subordinates were "post-00s". When he was arrested in mid-2021, Ah Chao was still interviewing employees at the "branch" in Shandong......
"Now that I think about it, it's not worth it. Ah Chao said, "The money is earned, but it is not easy, and there is no opportunity to spend it, and there is a lot of price to pay......"
Like Ah Chao, Huang Dong feels "not worth it".
Huang Dong was sentenced for contract fraud, and his company set up a number of fake well-known brand milk tea investment websites without the authorization of the rights company. When investors are interested in joining, they fool investors through slogans such as "one-stop service" and "investment and franchise will make sure you don't lose money". When investors believe it and pay the franchise fee, they will find that the original promises are all lies, not only are there no "all-round supporting services", but the raw materials provided are also very inferior. And all this has led to dismal business and even bankruptcy for investors.
However, Huang Dong didn't think his actions were crimes at first, he felt that at most they were "sidekicks".
"Later, during the prosecution review stage, the evidence presented by the prosecutor and what he said made me reflect. Huang Dong said, "The victim originally thought that he had found a platform where he could realize his dreams, and he could invest 10 years, 20 years, or even a lifetime of savings, but he ended up in the trap step by step and suffered heavy losses." Through individual conversations, commenting and education, and legal popularization education by the people's police, I have gradually realized that our crime has also had a very negative impact on society and the development of the market. ”
Huang Dong's attitude of admitting his guilt and repentance made the police happy, but his attitude towards his illness once made people anxious.
Huang Dong had a severe form of diabetes and needed insulin injections three times a day to control his condition, and he was found to have tuberculosis before he was imprisoned. After serving his sentence in the eighth prison district in late 2023, Huang Dong felt unwell because of the side effects of the drug, and he began to resist taking the medicine.
"The police talked to me over and over again, told me about the risks that I might have if I didn't continue to take medicine, and patiently listened to my worries and worries and answered them for me. Huang Dong recalled, "To be honest, I really couldn't listen to them at first, but after many times, I also found that they were really thinking about me." ”
In addition to feeling the intentions of the police, what Huang Dong felt the most was a sentence said by the police: "I hope you will go home healthy and safe and reunite with your families." ”
Family is the softest place in Huang Dong's heart. Huang Dong's parents are in the Northeast, and the children live abroad with Huang Dong's ex-wife. Huang Dong hasn't seen his parents and children for a long time. When it came to his family, he was silent for a while, and finally said, "I was afraid that they would be worried, so I didn't tell them about tuberculosis." ”
Maybe it was the police's heart-to-heart talks over and over again that touched Huang Dong, or maybe it was the desire to reunite with his family in a healthy manner, Huang Dong was no longer so resistant to taking medicine. After "trying" to take the medicine for a period of time, he himself also felt the importance of continuous treatment, so he gradually took the initiative to take the medicine without the supervision of the police, and now his physical condition is relatively stable. In his spare time, Huang Dong will also listen to the advice of the police to study independently, "I am learning foreign languages." The child is abroad, and I hope that when I see him in the future, the gap with him will not be so big. ”
"We do more, we have fewer hidden dangers"
As an adult, he is responsible for his own choices, of course Huang Dong also understands the truth of "bear the consequences", why did the police persuade him bitterly?
Qu Hui told reporters that ensuring that every inmate receives treatment in accordance with regulations is first of all the need for prison safety management, the need for the individual stability of inmates, and the need for inmates to reintegrate into society. And there are still many "Ah Peng" and "Huang Dong" in the Eighth Prison District, and their situation is even more complicated than theirs.
"As a prison with special functions, we must not only let the sick inmates recover physically through treatment, but also let their mental health, which includes admitting guilt and repentance, establishing the correct three views, and also accepting the fact of tuberculosis with a positive attitude and learning to treat it correctly. Qu Hui introduced that both physical and mental treatment is the concept that the police of the Eighth Prison District have always adhered to in the past 11 years.
In recent years, the No. 8 Prison District has invited experts from the Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pudong New Area Center for Disease Control and Prevention and other units to go into the wall to popularize tuberculosis-related knowledge and provide rehabilitation guidance for inmates, as well as professional knowledge training for the police in the prison area. At the same time, through different forms of activities such as running magazines, forming bands, and starting entrepreneurial training camps, the lives of inmates are enriched from multiple perspectives. This year, the No. 8 Prison District also cooperated with Shanghai Health Medical College to explore and carry out a "mindfulness" project, which helps inmates recover, calm their minds and reflect through "breathing training" that is conducive to lung breathing and "mindfulness meditation" that focuses on the present.
In addition, the No. 8 Prison District also seized every opportunity to disseminate knowledge of tuberculosis prevention and treatment to the families of inmates and the society. On the eve of this year's World Tuberculosis Day, the police of the Eighth Prison District went into the community to popularize the tuberculosis prevention and control knowledge they learned in their work to some vulnerable people.
"On March 21 this year, our prison district also organized a meeting with the families of the inmates, during which we also explained the relevant knowledge of tuberculosis to the families as before, and taught them the correct understanding of tuberculosis and how to get along with tuberculosis patients in their daily lives. "After all, inmates eventually have to return to society, and their families are their belongings and their greatest support." And if we do more, then there will be fewer hidden dangers in the follow-up, and there will be more peace for society. (The names of the inmates interviewed in the article have been changed)
Reporter |
Picture | Courtesy of Zhoupu Prison