A Justice Ministry panel discussing ways to improve the probation system proposed Tuesday that the number of parole officers be at least doubled to better supervise parolees.
The panel was set up in July 2005 in response to a series of serious crimes committed by people who were either on parole or had just completed probation, including the murder of an 11-month-old baby in Aichi Prefecture in February 2005.
The case exposed problems in the probation system's ability to keep track of parolees.