With the kidnap and murder case of a small girl in Nara Prefecture that occurred in November 2004 caused a turning point, and the Ministry of Justice started implementing a treatment program for sexual offenders in March 2006, with preventive training now being conducted at over 20 designated penal institutions throughout the country. Previously, education against repeat sexual offenses and preventive training had been provided at some penal institutions, but this was the first time that this type of program was being systematically carried out nation-wide. By March 2007, 266 offenders, divided into 48 groups, had received training through the program at penal institutions nation-wide (Source: The Correction Bureau, Ministry of Justice: see Section 4, 2(2) of this Chapter).
  Subject inmates take part in one of the following three courses, intensive, medium, or low, in accordance to their risk of recidivism and treatment needs. In 2006, the first year of its implementation, the program was conducted for high priority subjects in consideration of their release dates.
  Subject inmates were provided with an orientation session aiming to gain their understanding of the significance of the programs they were to receive and increase their own motivation. Groups of eight inmates were formed with two instructors. The programs center on group-work. The intensive, medium, and low courses all have mandatory projects that aim at increasing the subject's self-control and thus prevent them from committing sexual offenses. In addition, compulsory correctional subjects are also provided in the high and medium courses in order to aid them to correct their perceptions of sexual offenses and acquire skills in building smooth human relationships while heightening their empathy with others, including an understanding for their victims.
  Furthermore, in 2007, an adjusted program and training is being developed for inmates with advanced crime tendencies, as well as implementation of trial projects for those with lower abilities that do not allow them to take the standard programs. In addition, the development and trial implementation of a program for those unwilling to or have refused to receive training is taking place.