Prisons (From Why Is It Safer To Live in Tokyo, P 59-67, 1980, W Clifford, ed. - See NCJ-74380)

• NCJ Number: 74385
• Author(s): G Johnson
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 11 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

The atmosphere, rehabilitation programs, and basic philosophy of Japanese prisons are described and compared with Australian prisons.

Abstract

The philosophy underlying the atmosphere, structure, and programs of Japanese prisons is derived from the basic cultural thrust of responsibility to family and community. While the responsibility to serve and conform to the duties and ethical norms clearly mandated in the family and community is emphasized, individual rights apart from community responsibilities are rarely discussed. The structure of rewards and punishments administered according to individual behavior is deeply embedded in Japanese culture, so that offenders do not question that their imprisonment is proper and deserved. Within prison rehabilitation programs, inmates are encouraged to experience remorse for the particular offenses they have committed. Consequences and empathy for the victim in the context of the offense are regularly discussed with inmates. While sentences are determinate without the possibility of parole, rewards in the prison program are based on inmate behavior. Within the inmate subculture, those conforming to prison expections are generally respected. Advanced prison industries are the primary prison rehabilitation programs. Involvement of private industry in the prison system is considerable. Overall administration of the prisons is centralized within the Ministry of Justice, which is also responsible for other aspects of criminal justice functioning. Since the success of Japan's prison system stems largely from the cultural influences that have made inmates amenable to rehabilitation and correction, it is unrealistic to expect that Australian prisons could expect the same results from a similar system. A helpful change from Japan's example, however, would be the movement of Australia's prison systems from the jurisdiction of social services departments to criminal justice departments. For related articles, see NCJ 74380.