For the first time in more than a century, Japan has overhauled its prison system with new rules placing greater emphasis on rehabilitation over punishment to combat the country’s high recidivism rates.
The new system, which took effect last Sunday, marks the first time that correctional facilities have undergone a reform in 118 years. Individuals subject to the new rules are those who commit crimes after the law’s implementation.
A Penal Code amendment passed in 2022 removed the distinction between imprisonment with labor and that without. This means prison labor is no longer mandatory, which allows more time for educational and rehabilitative programs aimed at reducing recidivism.
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