The number of parole applications has been on a rise since 1996 in accordance with an increase of inmates, but decreased in 2005, and it showed no marked fluctuations in 2006 with 18,085 (up by 0.9% from the previous year) (see Appendix 2-11).
  The rate of those whose parole application is rejected against the total of those whose parole is granted and those whose parole application is rejected (rejection rate) has been around 2% since 1993, but increased in 2005, and it was 4.1% (up by 0.2 points from the previous year) in 2006 (Source: Annual Report of Statistics on Rehabilitation).