A prison in China's religious heartland is using the teachings of sixth century philosopher Confucius to reform inmates, the official Legal Daily said Monday.
Fifty-eight inmates of No. 3 provincial prison in Weifang, Shandong province, have graduated after a course in Confucian thought, it said."Stability has been achieved at the prison thanks to the course," the newspaper said.
Shandong, on China's east coast, was the birthplace of Confucius, who preached respect for the old and obedience to the state. His teachings were the bedrock of Chinese society until a communist takeover in 1949.
Confucius was reviled by the communists, but the sage made a comeback in the 1980s when Beijing's rulers referred to his ideology of self-discipline and social responsibility in their drive to modernize China.