（七）严格控制和慎重适用死刑

　　中国保留死刑，但严格控制和慎重适用死刑。中国刑法规定死刑只适用于极少数罪行极其严重的犯罪分子，并规定了严格的适用标准。2011年颁布的《刑法修正案（八）》取消了13个经济性非暴力犯罪的死刑，占死刑罪名总数的19.1%，规定对审判时已年满七十五周岁的人一般不适用死刑，并建立死刑缓期执行限制减刑制度，为逐步减少死刑适用创造法律和制度条件。

　　死刑直接关系到公民生命权的剥夺，适用死刑必须慎之又慎。从2007年开始，由最高人民法院统一行使死刑案件的核准权。中国实行死刑第二审案件全部开庭审理，完善了死刑复核程序，加强死刑复核监督。最高人民法院复核死刑案件，应当讯问被告人，辩护律师提出要求的，应当听取辩护律师的意见。最高人民检察院可以向最高人民法院提出意见。死刑复核程序的改革，确保了办理死刑案件的质量。自2007年死刑案件核准权统一由最高人民法院行使以来，中国死刑适用标准更加统一，判处死刑的案件逐步减少。

7. Strict Control over and Prudent Application of the Death Penalty

China retains the death penalty, but strictly controls and prudently applies it. China's Criminal Law stipulates that the death penalty shall only be applied to criminals who have committed extremely serious crimes, and has very strict stipulations on its application. Amendment Eight to the Criminal Law promulgated in 2011 eliminated the death penalty for 13 economy-related non-violent offences, accounting for 19.1% of the total death penalty charges. It stipulates that death penalty shall generally not be used for people who are already 75 years old at the time of trial. It also established the system of death penalty with a suspension of execution and put restrictions on reduction of sentences. These are attempts to create conditions in legislation and system to gradually reduce the use of the death penalty.

The death penalty bears directly on the citizen's right to life, so it must be applied in a very prudent manner. Starting in 2007, only the Supreme People's Court has the right to approve death penalty. In China, court trials of all death penalty cases of the second instance are open to the public. The state has improved the death penalty review procedure and strengthened supervision over the death penalty review. When the Supreme People's Court reviews a death sentence, it shall question the defendant, and hear the opinion of the defense attorney if the attorney makes the request. During the review of a death sentence, the Supreme People's Procuratorate may advise the Supreme People's Court of its opinions. The reform of the death penalty review procedure guarantees fairness in handling death penalty cases. Since 2007, when the Supreme People's Court began to exercise the right to review death sentences, the standard for the application of the death penalty has been more uniform and the number of death sentences in China has dropped gradually.

　　（八）完善服刑人员社区矫正和刑满释放人员帮扶制度

　　改善监狱执法条件，增强教育改造效果。中国努力建设公正、廉洁、文明、高效的新型监狱体制，逐步实现监狱“全额保障、监企分开、收支分开、规范运行”的改革目标。监狱行政运行经费、罪犯改造经费、罪犯生活费、狱政设施经费等均列入财政预算，全额保障。监狱建立罪犯劳动报酬制度，实行每周五天劳动教育、一天课堂教育、一天休息的教育改造制度，加强道德、文化、技术教育和劳动就业技能培训，提高服刑人员刑满释放后回归社会的能力。2008年以来，全国共有126万名服刑人员在服刑期间完成扫盲和义务教育课程，5800余人获得国家承认的大专以上毕业证书。全国监狱开设各类技术培训班3万余个，服刑人员职业技术获证率达到参加培训总数的75％以上，完成技术革新近14000项，获得发明专利500多项。

8. Improving Community Correction System for Persons Serving Sentences and Assistance System for Persons Released from Prison

Improving law-enforcement conditions of prisons and results of education and reform. China is striving to build a just, clean, civilized and efficient prison system, realizing its reform objective of "full-sum guarantee, separation of administrative and business functions, separation of revenues and expenditures, and standardized operation" of prisons. The expenses for jail administration, criminal reformation, prisoners' cost of living, and jail facilities are all guaranteed by the government budget. Inmates are required to work in prison and get paid. Every week, they work for five days, receive classroom education for one day and rest for one day. Attempts are made to strengthen moral, cultural, and technical education to inmates and give them vocational training so as to enhance their ability to make a living after being released. Since 2008, a total of 1.26 million inmates have completed literacy and other compulsory education courses while serving their sentences, and over 5,800 people have acquired college diplomas recognized by the state. Over 30,000 skill-training courses of various kinds have so far been conducted by prisons across the country, and over 75% of inmate trainees have received related certificates, made about 14,000 technological innovations and obtained over 500 invention patents.