A proposal by Gov. Yoshihiro Murai of Miyagi Prefecture to attach Global Positioning System devices to ex-convicts of sex crimes and people prone to committing domestic violence has given rise to renewed discussions of how to prevent sex-crime recidivism.
According to the Justice Ministry's white book on crimes for 2010, the recidivism rate for rape is "high" at 38.5 percent (compared with 39.1 percent for robbery, 26.1 percent for arson and 17.2 percent for murder).
In June 2005, a system was introduced in which the Justice Ministry provides police with information on planned release dates and future addresses of people who have just completed prison terms for sex crimes such as rape and indecent sexual assaults on children younger than 13 years old.