A town in Saitama Prefecture is planning to create an ordinance requiring private operators of rehabilitation facilities for former criminals to obtain approval from neighbors before they open new centers, the first such move by a municipality, Justice Ministry officials said Wednesday.
The town of Matsubushi will submit the ordinance — which would require rehabilitation center operators to secure written consent from more than two thirds of people who live within a 300-meter radius of any new facilities — to its assembly in September, local officials said.
The ordinance is aimed at alleviating residents' concerns and gaining their acceptance of plans for future facilities accommodating former criminals who finished their time in prison but have nowhere else to go, the officials said.