NANPING, Fujian - On her to-do list that day, judge Zhan Hongli planned to meet a teen she had just sentenced to one year of probation.

Such a sentence allowed the boy to end his four months in detention, but requires him to be good during that time or risk returning to jail.

"How you feel about getting out? Any plans?" Zhan asked with a soft voice, unlike her flat and hard tone in court.

The 17-year-old boy and his father had been sitting quietly in her office.

The boy clasped his hands behind his back and lowered his head without making eye contact with his father, a poor old farmer.

In August, the boy had stabbed another person in a fight to win his girlfriend over, causing serious injuries to the victim. On a charge of excessive defense, Zhan sentenced him to one year in prison, with one year of probation.

He also needed to pay compensation for the injuries that added to the financial burdens of the poor family.

"Remember, from now on you are on our 'rebirth' junior team," Zhan said.

"The group will help you forget about the past, and protect your rights and interests - on the condition you don't infringe upon the rights of others anymore."

Zhan Hongli, a juvenile court judge in Nanping, Fujian province, talks to a delinquent at a local detention center on Oct 31. Wei Peiquan / Xinhua