Chapter 3 Offenses by Persons Discharged from Juvenile Training Schools

In the previous chapter the actual situation concerning juvenile/young offenders, etc. was outlined using statistical data, etc. in thereby revealing that the percentage of young new inmates imprisoned for the second time or more with a history of protective measures was significantly high, etc., and thus confirmed the importance of measures to avoid juvenile delinquents making young offenders subject to criminal punishment, etc. This chapter involves special research on the subsequent criminal punishment status of persons discharged from juvenile training schools in thereby analyzing the factors that obstructed their reformation/rehabilitation, even after receiving protective measures, and eventually led them to receive criminal punishment and the factors that promoted their reformation/rehabilitation, etc.

Persons discharged from juvenile training schools nationwide during the period of January and March of 2004 (hereinafter referred to as “relevant discharge” in this chapter) aged 18 or 19 at the time of their discharge were the subjects of the special research. The total number of research subjects was 644 (342 aged 18 and 302 aged 19) (all of whom had been discharged from juvenile training schools on parole).

The attributes of the research subjects, outlines of the delinquencies for which the decision to commit them to the juvenile training schools (hereinafter referred to as “index delinquencies” in this chapter) was made, living status at the time of the index delinquencies, and the treatment they received at juvenile training schools, etc. were first examined using data provided by the Judicial System Department, Minister’s Secretariat of the Ministry of Justice. Next the term of their parole supervision, reason for termination of their parole supervision, and their status during the parole supervision period, etc. were examined using data provided by the Rehabilitation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice. The offenses for which they received their criminal punishment were then subjected to examination and their criminal punishment status, living status after the relevant discharge, and the situation with the offenses, etc. of 248 persons were examined using criminal case records maintained at public prosecutors offices in thereby analyzing the background and factors that led to the offending. “Criminal punishment,” as used here, refers to being sentenced to fine or a heavier punishment in a final judgment before reaching age 25 for an offense they committed after the relevant discharge (excluding cases of being sentenced to fine only for violations of traffic related acts).