Support and cooperation from volunteers outside,including volunteer visitors for inmates and prison chaplains,play an extraordinarily important role in the operations of penal institutions,in particular,for educational activities.

  
Voluntary visits for inmates enable inmates to receive guidance and advice from private volunteers based on their professional knowledge and experiences.
Volunteer visitors are educationally experienced persons,religious persons,persons concerned with rehabilitation services,who are recommended by the wardens of correctional institutions and commissioned by the Superintendents of Regional Correction Headquarters.
  Contents of guidance and advice are wide-ranging,including expanding inmates'culture,improving their aptitudes in their hobbies,enhancing their skills,addressing their mental worries,and providing support for issues related to their families,jobs,and future life plans.
  As of December31,2004,there were1,185volunteer visitors,202of which specialized in literary arts,219in education,168in religion,130in rehabilitation services,88in law(legal profession),66in commerce and industry,and26in social welfare etc.In2004,a total of15,167voluntary visits were made,5,056of which were concerned with culture,3,367with hobbies,and1,695with mental worries(Source:The Correction Bureau,Ministry of Justice).
  The National Federation of Volunteer Visitors for Inmates has been established as a nationwide body of volunteer visitors.

  Religious instructions are given,at the request of inmates,by prison chaplains(private religious volunteers).They include religious lectures,religious rites and reading of sutras etc.,and are aimed at providing inmates with opportunities to satisfy their religious needs while ensuring their religious freedom.
  As of December31,2004,there were1,553prison chaplains,and they gave religious services9,093times to groups and7,734times individually(Source:The Correction Bureau,Ministry of Justice).
  The National Federation of Prison Chaplains has been established as a nationwide body of prison chaplains.