For the independence and rehabilitation of offenders after returning to society, it is important for them to acquire the will power and ability to maintain a working life. The Ministry of Justice, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, started the “Project Team for Job Assistance Measures for Persons Released from Prison, etc.” on May 17, 2005, and has been working to support the creation of careers for sentenced inmates and juvenile training school inmates through the “Comprehensive Job Assistance Scheme for Persons Released from Prison, etc.” since April 2006 (see Section 4, 3 of this Chapter).
  Work support at correctional institutions has two main aspects to it: one focuses on the qualitative aspect of the inmates and the other focuses on adjusting employment circumstances. The former has the intention of developing the ability of inmates to be employed through vocational training or guidance for reform, while the latter intends to secure specific work places in cooperation with public employment support offices and employers.
  Employment support starts with “guidance upon commencement of execution of sentence at penal institutions” or “entrance education at juvenile training schools” immediately after arriving at correctional institutions. 28 types of vocational training are available at a total of 42 penal institutions nationwide (as of FY2007: see Part 2 Chapter 4, Section 2, 2(3)). At juvenile training schools, vocational guidance is provided that includes welding, woodwork, civil engineering, construction, construction machinery operation, agriculture, gardening, clerical work, nursing-care service, and others. (see Part 4, Chapter 2, Section 4, 2(3) B).
  Furthermore, in order for inmates to develop abilities useful in employment, penal institutions provide instruction on the manners necessary to work in society, including communication skills, and the ability to cope with problematic incidents through Social Skills Training (SST).