Unequal Treatment in Pretrial Detention in China
Unequal Treatment in Pretrial Detention in China
Drawing on 4,098 documents concerning adjudication decisions from three district courts in China, this study reveals that white-collar offenders enjoy favourable treatment in pretrial detention. Using statistical analysis, the article reveals that suspects without resources and social status are significantly more likely to be detained before trial; the higher rates of self-surrender and good behaviour among white-collar offenders play a vital role in considerably lowering the possibility of detention; bailed white-collar offenders also have advantages over detained suspects in probation and sentencing outcomes. Unlike previous studies on the extralegal reasons as explanations for these findings, we expand our perspectives to include the law, shuanggui, flaws in evidence, resources, crime-control orientation policy and punitive culture in order to explain the disparities.
1398–1419
Xiong, Moulin
135b2dfc-ebf6-45e1-a99a-60e8389b955d
Wei, Shuai
ed6e3497-083e-4551-8899-1437137f3995
27 August 2016
Xiong, Moulin
135b2dfc-ebf6-45e1-a99a-60e8389b955d
Wei, Shuai
ed6e3497-083e-4551-8899-1437137f3995
Xiong, Moulin and Wei, Shuai
(2016)
Unequal Treatment in Pretrial Detention in China.
British Journal of Criminology, 57 (6), .
(doi:10.1093/bjc/azw060).
Abstract
Drawing on 4,098 documents concerning adjudication decisions from three district courts in China, this study reveals that white-collar offenders enjoy favourable treatment in pretrial detention. Using statistical analysis, the article reveals that suspects without resources and social status are significantly more likely to be detained before trial; the higher rates of self-surrender and good behaviour among white-collar offenders play a vital role in considerably lowering the possibility of detention; bailed white-collar offenders also have advantages over detained suspects in probation and sentencing outcomes. Unlike previous studies on the extralegal reasons as explanations for these findings, we expand our perspectives to include the law, shuanggui, flaws in evidence, resources, crime-control orientation policy and punitive culture in order to explain the disparities.
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Published date: 27 August 2016
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Local EPrints ID: 508755
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/508755
ISSN: 0007-0955
PURE UUID: 9800ca3a-c4b5-460b-a58d-bf669a6a3294
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Date deposited: 03 Feb 2026 17:32
Last modified: 07 Feb 2026 03:34
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Author:
Moulin Xiong
Author:
Shuai Wei
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