Jia Kenmin

Jia Kenmin is an Asian-American inmate on the HBO drama Oz played by Michael Delmare.

Character overview

"Prisoner 01J813. Convicted February 2, 2001 - Possession and distribution of a controlled substance. Sentence: 15 years, up for parole in five."

Imprisoned on drug charges, he also is tried in federal court for arranging a horrid ship ride that brought over some illegal aliens from China. Upon his arrival, the refugees and he are separated from each other as the staff does not want any murder attempts made at Kenmin. One of the refugees then states to Kenmin that he can regain his honor in their eyes by killing Enrique Morales, for killing one of their own. From there, Kenmin wars with the Latino and Irish inmates in Oz, a move that eventually results in his death.

eason 4 Part II

Kenmin arrives and is immediately isolated from some Asian refugees being held in Oz. He arranged a ship to take them over from China where they lived in horrid conditions paying an extorted amount of money to take the ride to America. In the meantime, one of the refugees Bian Yixhue is killed by the Latinos who are looking to set up the Homeboy's leader Burr Redding. One of the older refugees then asks to see Kenmin briefly before the deportation back to China where he states that Kenmin has been deceitful but can regain his honor avenging the death of Yixie killing Latino leader Enrique Morales. Kenmin then assists Redding in a plot to eliminate the Italians and Latinos going into the gymnasium with the Homeboys ready to murder off their enemies. The S.O.R.T. team breaks it up though but Kenmin does let the Latinos know he is after them as Oz is locked down. After the Lockdown is ended, Kenmin is placed in the cage for fighting with Morales and Guerra upon his release. Kenmin then later provokes the O'Reily brothers into a fight, a move that has Cyril O'Reily put Kenmin into a coma. Kenmin then is in the hospital for the duration of the season.

eason 5

As Kenmin is released from the hospital, he spends his time angering the Latinos and plotting for revenge against O'Reily. With new inmate Li Chen, he makes it look like he has offered the O'Reily brothers peace as a means of setting them up. Kenmin then pays Glen Shupe to lie to Ryan O'Reily about the two of them planning to rape Suzanne Fitzgerald, Ryan's mother and an assistant at Oz. O'Reily then starts a fight with the two that ends with Chen being stabbed to death by Cyril. Unit manager Tim McManus then has Cyril charged with murder and Ryan then realizes that Kenmin made him believe the rape threat as a means of legally eliminating the O'Reily brothers. Ryan then plots for revenge and sees the hate that Enrique Morales has for Jia. The Irish then make a deal with the Latinos, Jia Kenmin will die without the traceback coming to Morales while Glen Shupe will be horribly injured without the traceback coming to O'Reily. Shupe's arm is then severed and O'Reily fills his end of the bargain by provoking a fight against Kenmin. In the fight, Kenmin with his martial arts skills is clearly winning but as the COs have trouble restraining Kenmin, O'Reily picks up a baton that has fallen on the floor and strikes Kenmin in the back of the head. Because Kenmin assaulted a CO, he is thrown in solitary without medical attention. It is assumed he was then killed by the COs, led by Robinson on the suggestion of O'Reily. His death was never confirmed, but Jia was never seen or mentioned again, and CO Robinson wasn't punished.

References