The judicial process in China requires that individuals who are suspected of a criminal offense be detained in a so-called “detention center” while their cases are being investigated, and if indicted, while they await trial.  (Thus, the detention can take anywhere from a few days to several years.)  Most of the suspects who enter Chinese detention centers know little about the judicial process or how to defend themselves.   If they are found guilty at trial, detention center inmates are transferred to a jail or prison to serve their sentences.  Of course, if found not guilty by the court, they are released from the detention center and are free again.  Detention centers in China are also used as a place to confine death-row inmates before their execution.
      By reading this book, readers will gain a glimpse into the Chinese judicial process, including arrest, detention, sentencing, and imprisonment, as well as the state of mind and living conditions of the defendant during each stage.  The cutting-edge social perspective offered in this story will give readers insight into the recent state of human rights in China.
      A Detention Center in China begins with the arrest of the protagonist, Gong Liu, who is tossed into a detention center through the political influence of corrupt businessmen wanting to take over his business.  While in the detention center, Gong experiences intense struggles between those investigating his case and those who rise to his defense. The author explores the prisoners’ psychological world, as well as the enhanced interrogation and torture methods that exist in the Chinese judicial system.   Readers will see the negative impact of modern Chinese tycoons, their business practices, and their political dealings, as well as the tragedy of innocent ordinary people who struggle against false charges.  In addition, the book reveals a separate Chinese detention system (shuanggui ), which is reserved for Communist Party members who violate the law.  The judicial system works in a much different way for these Chinese government officials, who can afford the best attorneys in China.
      Having spent time in a detention center himself, the author also looked closely at hundreds of other cases, including those of peasants, businessmen, intellectuals, government officials, and career criminals.  He has provided free legal aid to those appealing their cases, as well as spent time with death-row inmates during the final days of their lives. In the course of the narrative, the author explains in detail how the judicial process in China works, as well as the philosophical roots of modern Chinese law.  Part of the author’s purpose is to advocate for reforms in the judicial process, as well as to raise awareness among Chinese citizens of the laws that govern them and how these are applied in modern China.