White paper on crime 2011 Part3/Chapter1/Section5/3
Juvenile probationers, in principle, are placed under probation until they reach 20 years of age. However, if juveniles are deemed definitely capable of reforming/rehabilitating themselves without probation, it can be terminated upon the decision to discharge them early by the directors of probation offices. In addition, the directors of probation offices may also decide to grant a temporary discharge in which the progress of juveniles is observed without any guidance, supervision, and rehabilitation support, etc. over a certain period of time. Juvenile training school parolees are placed under parole supervision until the term of their confinement (the term they would have been confined for) is complete. However, if juveniles are deemed definitely capable of reforming/rehabilitating themselves without parole supervision it can be terminated upon the decision to discharge them early by a Regional Parole Board, based on a recommendation by the directors of the probation offices. 12,763 juvenile probationers were granted discharge, 52 a temporary discharge, and 784 juvenile parolees had their parole supervision terminated by the decision of discharge in 2010 (Source: Annual Report of Statistics on Rehabilitation).
The directors of probation offices can issue warnings to juvenile probationers upon violation of their probation conditions. If the juveniles repeatedly and seriously violate their conditions for probation, the directors can request a family court to make a decision of commitment to a children’s self-reliance support facility/foster home or committing them to a juvenile training school as a new protective measure (request for commitment to a facility). In addition, the directors of probation offices can notify a family court of the fact that a juvenile probationer is deemed to have committed a new pre-delinquency. In 2010, 170 cases involved warnings, 24 requests for commitment to a facility, and 28 notifications to a family court (Source: The Rehabilitation Bureau, Ministry of Justice and Annual Report of Statistics on Rehabilitation).
Family courts can decide to return juvenile training school parolees back to a juvenile training school (recommitment) in response to an application made by a Regional Parole Board based on a proposal from the directors of probation offices if they have violated their conditions for parole supervision. 16 juveniles were recommitted to juvenile training schools in 2010 (Source: Annual Report of Statistics on Rehabilitation).