The White Paper on Crime aims to identify the trends in crime and actual situation in the treatment of offenders. It was first published in 1960 and since then has subsequently been published annually. This edition is the 50th edition of the White Paper on Crime.
  The crime situation in Japan was in a crisis as the number of reported cases for non-traffic penal code offenses marked the highest since WWII in 2002. The public and the government, however, united in an effort to restore public safety and the situation is now improving, with growing crime problem halted. However, public safety will remain difficult to maintain in the long term. Social unrest has increased due to the recent global financial crisis, etc., and concern is now growing that this may again lead to a rise in crime.
  In light of these circumstances, this edition of the White Paper on Crime provides an overview of recent trends in crime and the actual situation in the treatment of offenders, mainly with regard to 2008. In addition, this edition features an article entitled <Enhancement of Measures to Prevent Repeat Offenses> that provides basic data which can be expected to contribute to discussions of preventive measures against repeat offenses.
  Repeat offense prevention is an important issue in criminal policy, and the government is presently taking a range of measures against crime with the aim of restoring genuine public safety, including an initiative to build a society that does not foster offenders. This entails a variety of preventive measures against repeat offenses that will help realize a harmonious society by reforming/rehabilitating offenders and integrating them back as sound members of civil society. In order to advance these measures to prevent repeat offenses in a consistent manner and achieve effective outcomes, it will be necessary to acquire knowledge on matters such as the reality of repeat offenses and the causes thereof, and hold regular discussions on the most effective and appropriate measures in line with actual conditions. The Research and Training Institute of the Ministry of Justice has therefore been conducting research on the realities and relevant factors of repeat offenses and measures against them from various points of view and a variety of methods. The issue was actually addressed very recently in the 2007 edition of the White Paper on Crime. This year’s edition seeks to contribute to further improvements in preventive measures against repeat offenses by presenting more detailed analysis of the actual situation surrounding repeat offenses and their causes. This analysis is conducted by reference to existing preventive measures against repeat offenses, with a particular focus on theft and stimulants offenders, who can be seen to have high repeat offense tendencies.
  In this featured article the recent realities of repeat offenses and the tendencies of repeat offenders, etc. were analyzed using the relevant statistical data and special research conducted on theft and stimulants offenders. An overview of the situation with regard to repeat offenses is thus provided from a variety of points of view through analysis of risk factors in the reoffending of probationers and typological analysis of the problems of those who have been imprisoned, etc. The status of current efforts in preventive measures against repeat offenses is then introduced, and finally, in light of this analysis, etc., the future prospects of preventive measures against repeat offenses are discussed.
  It is our hope that this White Paper on Crime will contribute to an improvement in preventive measures against repeat offenses by helping deepen people’s understanding of the necessity for and importance of such preventive measures, and that it will be utilized as a useful source of data for discussing measures in the future.
  Lastly, we wish to express our sincere gratitude to the General Secretariat of the Supreme Court of Japan, the Cabinet Office, National Police Agency, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and other concerned institutions for their enormous cooperation in compiling this White Paper.

November 2009

     Yoshinobu Onuki
     President
     Research and Training Institute
     Ministry of Justice
     Japan

  This White Paper was undertaken during Mr. Yoshinobu Onuki’s presidency at the Research and Training Institute of the Ministry of Justice, Japan, and thereafter, Mr. Onuki has been promoted to Superintending Prosecutor of the Nagoya High Public Prosecutors Office.

November 2010

     Osamu Shimizu
     President
     Research and Training Institute
     Ministry of Justice
     Japan