NCJ Number
125201
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 52 Issue: 4 Dated: (July 1990) Pages: 118,119,120,122,124-127
Date Published
1990
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The Sister Institution Program helped bridge the cultural and philosophical differences between the Oregon State Correctional Institution (OSCI) and the Kawagoe Juvenile Prison (KJP) in Japan.
Abstract
The sister institution program is aimed at exchanging information on corrections methods, techniques and experiences. Both institutions offer their staff, inmates, and the community at large the benefits of foreign experiences used to reach the same corrections and public safety goals. OSCI and KJP are similar in terms of inmate population, staff, inmate age range, and programs. Some features observed in the Japanese prison system were: (1) prisons are unified in form and function; (2) inmates are housed in single cells or in 7- to 11-person dormitories; and (3) foreign inmates are housed in conditions similar to their national lifestyle. The Japanese prison system is based on the principle that discipline is a necessary part of inmate reform. They believe that hard work is an important part of a productive life and that working for the good of society is more honorable than working for personal gain. However, drug abuse, organized fraud, gang activity, and politically motivated bombings are gaining a foothold in Japanese society.