A monitoring and care system for underage criminals, who have committed minor offenses, will be established to give young offenders in Minhang District a better chance of rehabilitating themselves and become contributing members of society.

The district is the first to initiate such a trial in the city and will promote its experience at a meeting tomorrow.

The district introduced the system in June 2004. Police, the prosecutors' office, courts and care-and-monitoring centers all participated to give young offenders more help.

Officials said juvenile delinquency increased quickly in recent years and most of the crimes in question were committed by minors from other provinces.

According to Xia Jingyi, a legal official in Minhang, the district prosecutors' office filed cases against 69 underage criminals in 2002. The amount rose to 82 in 2003 and 143 last year.

Social workers, psychologists and volunteers serve in 13 subdistrict centers. They provide education and guidance to those who have committed crimes that caused little damage to society.

"The minors normally stay for three to six months. Then the prosecutors' office will decide to sue or not," Xia said. "A lot depends on how the youngsters respond to the help."

Under Chinese law, minors between 14 and 18 years old can be sentenced to prison terms although judges can show more leniency due to their age.

(Shanghai Daily June 15, 2005)