The employment prospects and family situations of former inmates are vitally important in determining whether they will offend again. "That is why I founded my organization and provided homeless ex-inmates with a temporary base in Shanxi to help them settle down quickly after their release," Wang said.
"Many ex-inmates have little education and are mentally fragile. They crave contact, but are sensitive about meeting people who might mention their bad record or distrust them," he said.
"At the base, we provide encouragement and help them find themselves. We also post their information on our website to find them jobs."
Low levels of education means that most of the ex-inmates who have found employment through Wang's platform work in unskilled jobs, such as warehouse packers or security guards.
Although buoyed by the platform's success, Wang called for greater public involvement in the provision of jobs and homes for ex-offenders. He suggested the central government should use the new five-year plan to introduce special measures and assistance to bolster legal protection of the rights of ex-convicts.
"Legal measures will put the government's 'follow-up' plan into practice and attract the attention of a larger number of people".
Psychological aid
Ni, the former inmate, said psychological counseling was the thing she desired most after her release: "I didn't know how efficiently I could reintegrate into society, but I couldn't complain to my poor family. If I could have found someone to pay attention to my suffering and bitter life, I think my deep anxiety would have been better alleviated," she said.
In January, Wu Aiying, the minister of justice, highlighted the importance of psychological aid designed to help former inmates re-enter society. She also advocated more work-related training, saying that justice bureaus at all levels should provide psychological counseling and innovative measures in community centers to improve the quality of their work.
Li Meijin, a professor of criminal psychology at the People's Public Security University of China, suggested that communities, especially those in rural areas, should provide both legal and psychological services to ex-convicts under their jurisdiction.
"The last month in prison and the first year after release are important for helping former inmates to return to society, and to reduce the rate of reoffending," Li said.
She urged prisons and communities to provide classes to teach inmates the skills that will help them when they are released and introduce them to the policies relating to ex-prisoners.
The classes should make it clear to former inmates that they must be realistic and accept that their previous mistakes will make it difficult for them to find jobs. However, while ex-convicts should not be overambitious, continuous encouragement is key to successful psychological assistance, she added.
Zheng hopes that his fruit store and new-found love signal the end of a disastrous chapter in his life. He is determined to learn from his mistakes, and is committed to helping other ex-inmates reintegrate.
"Although returning to society was harder than I expected, and I was struggling to decide which way to go, I'm still grateful for my life, and I would like to help more people who have suffered experiences similar to mine," he said.
