Jampa Yeshi, also known as Kewsang Rinpoche, was arrested at the age of 16 during a period of intense Chinese repression targeting Tibetan monks and religious institutions. He was imprisoned in several facilities, including Lhasa and Taring prisons, which were severely overcrowded and marked by extreme brutality.

Prisoners received minimal food, leading to widespread starvation and daily deaths. In Lhasa prison in 1961, multiple prisoners reportedly died each day. Jampa Yeshi documented the use of Tibetan inmates as subjects of unnecessary medical experiments, including surgeries that resulted in death, such as the case of Batso Rinchen.

In Taring prison, strict controls were imposed even for basic needs. A monk named Jamche was shot while urinating, and another monk, Sherab, was killed shortly thereafter. Solitary confinement for extended periods was common. During the Cultural Revolution, prisoners were forced to renounce their religious beliefs, with reduced rations imposed on those who refused.

Despite these conditions, Kewsang Rinpoche formally demanded respect for religious freedom, recognition of devotion to the Dalai Lama, and improved conditions for Tibetans, declaring he would not abandon his beliefs even under threat of death.