Prisons use embroidery to rehabilitate inmates

Prison guard Zheng Tianxiao now begins his shift carrying a set of needles and thread for embroidery, a mind-soothing activity that inmates at Kenhua Prison, located about 150 kilometers from downtown Beijing, have been participating in recently.

The prison houses male inmates serving long sentences for violent crimes, drug trafficking and fraud. Many of them tend to lose their sense of purpose upon arrival.

"They often resist efforts to rehabilitate them," Zheng told Xinhua. "Embroidery offers a means for them to restore discipline and hone their concentration."