List of prisons in the Tibet Autonomous Region
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This is a list of prisons within Tibet Autonomous Region province of the People's Republic of China. This list includes detention centres, which are not classed as prisons in China.
| Name | Enterprise name | City/County/District/Prefecture | Village/Town | Established | Notes | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sangyip Prison Complex | Lhasa | 1964 | Sangyip is best understood as a prison complex or cluster rather than a single prison. Human-rights reporting has used the name for a group of facilities in north-east Lhasa, including Utritru / Utritu, also known as Wuzhidui or Number Five Unit, and Sitru / Sizhidui, or Number Four Unit. References to individual detainees being held at "Sangyip" may therefore refer to one of several units within the wider complex. | |||
| Powo Tramo Prison (Ch: Bomi Prison) | Nyingtri Prefecture (Ch: Nyingchi), Kongpo, Pomé County | Qingduo | 1955 | Current Chinese official name: Xizang Bomi Prison (西藏波密监狱). Also referred to as Powo Tramo, Pome Prison, Bome Prison, Zhamu Prison, Bomi Second Prison, Prison No. 2, TAR No. 2 Prison, and Xizang No. 2 Prison. | Area No. 1: 30.06715968, 95.56494266 Area No. 2: 30.01150132, 95.60979896 | |
| Chushur Prison | Nitang Brickyard | Qüxü County, Lhasa | Nyethang / Nitang | Current Chinese official name: Xizang Qushui Prison (西藏曲水监狱). Also referred to as Chushur, Chushul, or Qushui Prison. The association with Nitang Brickyard reflects earlier prison-enterprise or labour-site reporting. It should be distinguished from Powo Tramo / Bomi Prison; the coordinates here are in Qüxü County, not in Bomi County. | 29.55185984, 90.96841697 | |
| Lhasa Prison (Utritru/Utritu) | Lhasa | Duodi / Sangyip area | 1988 | Current Chinese official name: Xizang Lhasa Prison (西藏拉萨监狱). Utritru or Utritu is a Tibetanised form of Wuzhidui (五支队), or Number Five Unit. Human-rights sources identify it as part of the wider Sangyip group of facilities. It later came to be referred to increasingly as Lhasa Prison. It should not be confused with Drapchi / Tibet Autonomous Region Prison. | 29.6850411, 91.15916768 | |
| Lhasa Juvenile Offender Detachment | Lhasa | Duodi / Sangyip area | Current Chinese official name: Xizang Juvenile Offender Reformatory (西藏未成年犯管教所). It is listed separately in Chinese prison-administration sources, although it appears to be adjacent to or physically associated with the Lhasa Prison / Utritu perimeter and separated by walls. | 29.68497744, 91.15555793 | ||
| Lhasa Prison for Special Prisoners | Unverified or insufficiently defined entry. This may refer to a special-security section, a prison-hospital-related facility, or another unit within the Lhasa prison system, but it should not be treated as a separate prison unless a reliable source identifies its Chinese name, location, and administrative relationship to Lhasa Prison, Drapchi, or the Tibet Judicial Police Hospital. | |||||
| Tibet Autonomous Region Prison | Carpet Factory | Lhasa | Zaji | 1960 | Current Chinese official name: Tibet Autonomous Region Prison (西藏自治区监狱). Commonly known in Tibetan and English-language reporting as Drapchi Prison. It is historically one of Tibet's best-known prisons for political prisoners. It should be distinguished from Lhasa Prison / Utritu, which is a separate institution in the Sangyip area. | 29.67917605, 91.13947266 |
| Trisam Prison | Lhasa / Qüxü County area | 1992 | Also reported as Trisam laojiao or Trisam labour-reeducation facility. Its current status is uncertain. Because China's re-education-through-labour system was formally abolished in 2013, this site should not be described as a current prison unless newer sources confirm its present function. Some reporting suggests later use as a drug-rehabilitation or compulsory-isolation facility. | 29.63864478, 90.98179196 | ||
| Xizang No. 2 Prison | Nyingtri Prefecture (Ch: Nyingchi), Pomé County | Qingduo | Ambiguous historical or rights-reporting name. This appears likely to overlap with Powo Tramo / Bomi Prison rather than being a separate current institution. Unless a source clearly distinguishes it from Xizang Bomi Prison, this entry should be treated as an alias or possible duplicate of Powo Tramo / Bomi Prison. |
Prisons and Detention Centres
There have historically been three official prisons in Tibet, Tibet Autonomous Region Prison, Lhasa Prison, and Bomi Prison. However, more recently, six have been listed: TAR Prison, Lasa Prison, Qushui Prison, Bomi Prison, Juvenile Offender Reformatory and the Judicial Police Hospital.[1]
Sangyip Prison Complex
Officially known as the People's Armed Police (PAP) Number 1 Branch (Chinese: Di yi zhidui - Unit No. 1), Sangyip is a military and prison complex located in Lhasa, Tibet. It is well known for the political detention of Tibetans throughout its history, which is believed to have started in 1964. Articles often refer to prisoners detained in Sangyip Prison; however, Sangyip includes several prisons (units) all under the same banner. References to Sangyip as a prison complex date back to 1994.[2]
Powo Tramo Prison (Ch: Bomi Prison)
Located 400 miles east of Lhasa, this prison is a significant centre for detaining political prisoners. In November 2001, all Tibetan political prisoners with heavy sentences were transferred there. It is believed to be spread across two units forming a complex with either referred to as Powo Tramo.[2] Powo Tramo is also known as Zhamu Prison, Bomi Prison, Bomi Second Prison, Prison Number 2, or Tibet Autonomous Regional No. 2 Labour Reform Detachment.
Initially, the Tibet Autonomous Region Public Security Department's second labour reform team, Powo Tramo, was established in the 1980s and was under its management. After policy changes in 1992, the RTL team was transferred to the Tibet Autonomous Region Judicial Department. The RTL team was then changed to Bomi Prison (official Chinese name) in the Tibet Autonomous Region in 1994.[2]
Today the county is under Nyingchi / Linzhi, and Qingduo is a township-level unit whose own historical forms include Quduo/Qiongduo before its establishment as a township in 1989. Tibetan exile or prison glossaries that described Powo Tramo as being under Chamdo Prefecture are not necessarily wrong for their time; they may reflect the county's then-current prefectural affiliation, rather than a different physical location.
Chushur Prison
A large prison, hundreds of political prisoners, United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture, M. Nowak, visited the prison in 2005.[3]
Lhasa Prison (Utritru / Utritu)
Utritru has also been known as Lhasa Prison since 1995, Its name comes from the Chinese "Wuzhidui". It was first built in 1988 as an RTL facility, became a laojiao, and is now a prison. It is part of a group of prisons known as Sangyip. Information suggests Utritru is mainly a criminal detention facility, rather than political. but it has been used to provide extra cells for other prisons nearby. Most of its historical political inmate population was moved to Trisam in mid-1992. The prison has undergone significant expansion starting in the 90s and then several times between 2005 and 2020.[2][4]
Tibet Autonomous Region Prison
Also referred to as Drapchi, Delapuxie, or Xizang Autonomous Region Prison. It was established in 1960[5] and is the primary place for the detention of political prisoners before 2005 when the newer and modernised Chushur (Chinese: Qushui) Prison was built. Drapchi is the Tibetan name, named after its location.[2] It was originally a military garrison until it was converted into a prison after the 1959 Tibetan Uprising. It is roughly one mile from the city centre and the main prison for prisoners sentenced by the judicial system in Tibet. In 2004, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention visited the prison. About 7% are female, 76% Tibetans and 20% Han Chinese. It was the only prison in the region that holds female prisoners.[5]
Trisam Prison
Has three units: the first for male political prisoners, the second for male criminals and the third for women prisoners. Juveniles are included. Trisam conducted hard labor, and at least eight cells were reportedly used for solitary confinement. It is currently believed to be in use as a drug rehabilitation centre.[2]