BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature on Thursday voted to adopt the revision to the Prison Law, sharpening the focus on fair and law-based execution of imprisonment penalties for more effective punishment and rehabilitation of the offenders, a move marking the country's further efforts to balance strict enforcement of justice and human rights protection.
The major revision, the law's first in three decades, was passed after a third reading at a session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), which runs from Monday to Thursday.
The revised law will take effect on Nov. 1, 2026.
Increasing the number of articles to 121 from 78, the revised law stipulates enhanced supervision by procuratorial agencies over the execution of prison sentences and standardizes prison management in greater detail.
Zhou Guangquan, vice chairman of the NPC Constitution and Law Committee, said the new law reflects a change in China's approach to prison management over the decades -- evolving from an emphasis on primarily incarcerating inmates to educating and reforming them into contributing members of society.
The revised Prison Law includes provisions in the general principles on protecting human rights, and requires prisons, courts and procuratorates to handle commutation and release on parole cases in accordance with the law and in a timely and fair manner.
It further strengthens and standardizes prison management, improving rules on inmates' communication, meetings, daily living, and hygiene, as well as day-to-day prison administration.
During Tuesday's deliberations, lawmaker Xian Tieke voiced support for the revision, saying that "it further balances prison security with human rights protection."
Wang Ke, an NPC lawmaker, said that the revisions could strengthen sentence enforcement and standardize prison law enforcement procedures, highlighting provisions refining rules on prisoners' daily life, medical care, and social security.
The revised law stresses the rehabilitation of the inmates, noting that the prisons' work should focus on turning the offenders into law-abiding citizens and helping them better reintegrate into society after release.
In an interview with Xinhua after the group deliberations on Tuesday, Zhou underlined the importance of the commutation and parole provisions in the revised law, noting that the proper handling of commutation and parole may be conducive to offenders' effective rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
"As long as inmates perform well and meet the legal requirements, they should be shown a path to reintegration," Zhou said.
According to Justice Minister He Rong, people's growing aspirations in such aspects as fairness, justice and security, together with the further improvement of institutions and mechanisms for law enforcement and judicial administration, have placed new circumstances and requirements for prison work.
It is therefore necessary to revise the Prison Law to elevate into legal provisions the experience, practices and mechanisms explored over the past 30 years to ensure that prison work moves forward orderly under the rule of law, she said.
The original law, enacted in 1994 and last amended in 2012, has long played a central role in enforcing penalties, rehabilitating inmates and preventing crime.
The overhaul this time reflects broader changes since 1994. The revised law requires prisons to provide mental health education and, where necessary, psychological counseling, crisis intervention and treatment, with participation from professionals in law, education, psychology and social work sectors.
Juvenile detention facilities must establish psychological treatment units and provide tailored counseling, according to the revision.
Some lawmakers pointed out during deliberations that these provisions were added against the backdrop of the development of psychology in China and the growing number of qualified professionals in the field, thereby making such programs possible.
In 2024, a total of 99 percent of new inmates in China underwent psychological testing, while coverage of mental health education reached 99.9 percent, according to official data.
Also, considering that inmates who have served long sentences often face major changes upon release, as daily life and technology have evolved significantly, training aligned with economic needs and post-release life and employment should also be provided in prisons, legislators noted.
"Without vocational skills to make a living upon release, inmates are more likely to reoffend," lawmaker Li Jiheng said during group deliberations.
In 2024, about 200,000 vocational certificates were issued to inmates who had passed relevant qualification assessments, while more than 500 job fairs were held for them nationwide, according to official figures.
Some Chinese prisons have already introduced pre-release education measures in practice. In July 2025, a prison in south China's Nanning launched a VR-based training system simulating more than 20 everyday scenarios, including ticket booking, ID applications, ride-hailing and food delivery.
Officials said these measures are intended to improve inmates' ability to reintegrate into society after release. ■
