 Other components of the prison system include detention centers for individuals awaiting sentence or execution , and juvenile detention camps for individuals under a minimum age ( which has varied through the years , and may currently be under 14 ) . The system formerly included components such as custody and repatriation for individuals without a residence permit ; " forced job placement , " which has not been widely practiced since the 1990s ; and " shelter and investigation , " a system of detentions for individuals under legal investigation , which was abolished in 1996 . The Laogai Research Foundation also classifies psychiatric facilities , or ankang , as a form of detention for political dissidents , although it is not officially recognized as part of the laogai penal system . 
