BEIJING - Detainees in the country's detention centers should be respected and their legal rights protected under new rules released Monday by China's Ministry of Public Security.

According to the rules, detention centers should stick to lawful, scientific and civilized management, and they should protect the detainees' safety and legal rights as well as respect them.

The regulations ban warders from insulting and torturing detainees or manipulating others to do so.

The rules specify that detention centers should not detain people below the age of 16 years old or above 70, those who are between 16 and 18 but have violated social safety regulations for the first time, as well as people with serious illnesses and pregnant women.

According to the rules, detention centers should install cameras and other devices to record detainees, and such records should be preserved for at least 15 days.