国内英语新闻:China revises law for juvenile delinquents

BEIJING, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature on Saturday voted to adopt a revision to the Law on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency, specifying special correctional education for young offenders.

It stipulates that upon assessment and approval by special education steering committees, education administration departments and public security organs can send juveniles to special correctional education facilities. It applies if they have committed crimes but are exempt from criminal punishment because they are under criminal liability age.

Provincial-level governments should designate at least one specific school for special correctional education, according to the revision.

Public security organs and judicial administration departments are responsible for juvenile correction, while education administration departments assume the responsibility of educating the juveniles, it says.

Amendment XI to the Criminal Law was also passed on Saturday, lowering the minimum age at which a minor may be charged with a criminal offense to 12 under special circumstances and through special procedures.