2 Guidance/assistance in securing and maintaining employment

Securing and maintaining employment is important with juveniles and young offenders in not only establishing a living base but also acquiring the ability to adapt to society through work and interpersonal relationships at workplaces, and can be a factor in thus preventing repeat delinquencies/offenses.

Over 50% of juveniles readmitted to juvenile training schools and over 60% of young new inmates were unemployed at the time of the delinquencies/offenses (Fig. 7-2-3-7). In addition, the percentage of juvenile probationers/juvenile training school parolees whose probation/parole supervision was terminated because of revocation of the protective measures and the percentage of young probationers/parolees whose probation/parole supervision was terminated because of revocation of suspension of execution of the sentence/release on parole were remarkably higher with those that were unemployed than with those that were employed or students/pupils (Fig. 7-2-4-5). The special research revealed that the proportion to receive subsequent criminal sanction was remarkably higher, at nearly 50% with those who were unemployed at the time of termination of their parole supervision after the relevant discharge, than with those that were employed or students/pupils, etc. (Fig. 7-3-3-1-7). The survey of attitudes revealed that significantly high percentage of young offenders acknowledged failure in or interruption of education/employment as the cause of delinquencies/offenses (Table 7-4-3-2, Fig. 7-4-3-8).

The unemployment rate of young people has been higher than those in other age groups (Fig. 7-1-6), while the employment of new junior high school graduates has also been worsening in recent years, and thus securing employment and maintaining a stable work life becomes difficult (Fig. 7-1-4, Fig. 7-1-5). Many juvenile delinquents and young offenders dropped out of school while a junior high school or senior high school student, and for example, around 80% of the subjects of the special research were either junior high school graduate or senior high school dropouts (Fig. 7-3-1-3 [4] ). Based on these circumstances, securing stable employment after being reintegrated back into society seems to be difficult in terms of their educational background, employment eligibility, and skills, etc. Fortunately, according to the survey of attitudes many of juvenile delinquents and young offenders were motivated to secure a legitimate occupation and thus become independent, with many having a sound way of thinking in therefore wishing to acquire necessary licenses and skills (Fig. 7-4-2-7). To avoid reoffending and promote their rehabilitation, it is essential to ensure stable employment at the time of termination of probation/parole supervision through comprehensive employment support measures for released inmates (See Subsection 1, Chapter 5 of this part), and for this purpose, it is important to provide them with the academic education and employment guidance in juvenile training schools to help them take high school graduate equivalency examinations or acquire qualifications that match employment needs during the period they are still sufficiently flexible and highly motivated. In addition, the percentage of those that were unemployed at the time of termination of probation/parole supervision was higher with young probationers than with other probationers/parolees, and hence employment support for young probationers needs to be strengthened.

With the subjects of the special research, however, 74.7% of those that were unemployed at the time of the offenses had experienced work at least once after being discharged. The main reasons for they discontinued their jobs were bad relationships with others and dissatisfaction with wages/treatment (Fig. 7-3-3-3-3). The survey of the attitudes revealed that a relatively large number of them lacked sincere work attitudes and that they felt bothersome with interpersonal relationship at workplace (Fig. 7-4-2-7). For juvenile delinquents and young offenders who lack stable employment in the process of becoming socially independent, not only securing employment but also maintaining that employment is important. In addition to providing support in improving their vocational skills and securing employment, etc., enhancing the education to develop sound attitudes toward work, which is the basis of being employed, and guidance to develop social abilities, to develop good interpersonal relationships, and to cultivate spirits of patience and improvement of follow-up work for their continued employment is therefore expected.