White paper on crime 2018 Part2/Chapter4/Section2/4
Guidance in school courses is the equivalent of an academic education for inmates who are considered likely to face difficulty in their reformation and rehabilitation or smooth reintegration into society due to the lack of academic abilities necessary in leading a social life (supplementary guidance in school courses), and for inmates who can make their reintegration into society especially smoother with enhanced academic abilities (special guidance in school courses).
The Certificate for Student Achieving the Proficiency Level of Upper Secondary School Graduate is available in penal institutions in cooperation between the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and guidance on taking the examination is actively provided at four designated penal institutions. In FY 2017, 446 inmates took the examination, of whom 209 passed the examination and 215 passed part of the subjects (Source: The Education Policy Bureau, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology).