Juvenile classification homes mainly receive male and female juveniles under 20 years of age, who have received an adjudication of protective detention made by a family court, and perform classification on the predisposition of such juveniles. Classification on predisposition of such juveniles is performed based on specialized knowledge in medicine, psychology, pedagogy, and sociology, etc. The results of the classification will be significant materials for hearings performed by family courts, and will be also utilized as material for review as to what treatment should be given upon executing the protective measures thereafter. The term of protective measures in which the juveniles can be accepted at juvenile classification homes should be normally 4 weeks at maximum. Due to the Law for Partial Amendment to the Juvenile Law, etc., which came into force on April 1, 2001, such term can be extended to 8 weeks at maximum only when there are good reasons to recognize that hindrance would occur to a hearing unless the juveniles in question are admitted to a juvenile classification home in the cases of offenses that are punishable by death penalty or imprisonment with or without labor, for which it is decided to conduct examination of witness, etc. for the finding of facts of delinquency.
  As of April 1, 2002, 52 juvenile classification homes are in place nationwide. These juvenile classification homes perform treatment so that the juveniles can be examined peacefully, as well as classification on the predisposition of these juveniles described above. Also, the juvenile classification homes perform classification on predisposition for juveniles other than the juveniles who have received an adjudication of protective measures, etc., at the request of the general public, or public and private associations, etc.