5 Structure of this part

  In this part, trends, etc. with elderly offenders will be described in Chapter 2. By examining the number of elderly and elderly rate, etc. in each procedural stage of prosecution, at public prosecutors offices, courts, and in correction and rehabilitation, the actual situation in which elderly offenders are not only increasing in number and percent ratio but also increasing at a higher rate than the total elderly population is revealed. In addition, by type of offense theft is accounting for a major part of offenses committed by elderly, injury and assault cases have remarkably increased in recent years, elderly rate in homicide cases is rising, and the number of homicide cases is large with first-time elderly inmates are all revealed. Trends with elderly victims of crime are also described in Chapter 2.
  In Chapter 3 the circumstances and attributes of elderly offenders are analyzed from various points of view. Section 1 gives the characteristics, etc. of elderly repeat offenders and those who have committed crimes for the first time at an advanced age using computerized criminal records. The results of special research are described in Section 2. The general attributes of elderly offenders are first analyzed. The motives/causes and relationship, etc. with victims are then considered for the four specific offenses of theft, injury, assault, and homicide committed by elderly, all of which were shown to be problematic in Chapter 2 (This special research was conducted at the Research and Training Institute of the Ministry of Justice in cooperation with the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office and the Tokyo Local Public Prosecutors Office through analyzing records of criminal cases that resulted in unsuspended imprisonment with or without work. In order to efficiently secure the necessary large number of records, Tokyo was selected as the subject of this study.).
  In Chapter 4 the actual present situation with treatment of elderly inmates and probationers/paroles in Japan is described.
  Chapter 5 gives major statistics regarding elderly offenders in countries where aging is progressing: the Republic of Korea in Asia, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, the U.K. in Europe, and the U.S.A. In addition, part of their treatment in the Republic of Korea and Germany is described.
  Lastly, in Chapter 6, the circumstances and attributes of elderly offenders and their treatment are summarized.