White Paper on Crime 2019 Part2/Chapter5/Column4
In the Heisei Era (1989-2019), two main Acts that provide for basic rules of institutional and community corrections were enacted. These Acts amended the rules of institutional correction defined in the Meiji Era (1868-1912) and those of community correction defined after World War II.
The Act on Penal Detention Facilities and the Treatment of Inmates and Detainees enacted in 2005 stipulates the treatment of inmates in penal institutions. It clarifies inmates’ rights and obligations and the scope of staff’s authority, and improves treatment for the rehabilitation and reintegration of sentenced inmates through individualized treatment and special guidance for reform.
The Offenders Rehabilitation Act (Act No. 88 of 2007) enacted in 2007 stipulates parole and probation. It specifies the prevention of re-offending as a goal of rehabilitation, organizes and expands the conditions that probationers and parolees must comply with, and expands the scope of the adjustment of living conditions for parolees.