The National Police Agency's 2014 white paper on crimes shows that the percentage of recidivists among people investigated for criminal offenses, except for those probed for traffic accidents, has been on a steady increase since 1997 — from less than 30 percent to a record 46.7 percent. At the same time, the report shows that convicts who are released early from prison on parole are less likely to commit additional offenses than those released after serving their full sentences.

The data point to a need to beef up efforts to assist offenders in their rehabilitation and readjustment to society. This is all the more important because the number of convicts released on parole will likely increase under a system created by the Criminal Law revision in 2013 that enables courts to hand down a combination of imprisonment, a suspended sentence and probation to people convicted of crimes that would normally carry a maximum prison term of three years.

According to the white paper, law enforcement authorities investigated 262,486 people last year in connection with criminal offenses excluding traffic violations. Of them, 139,848 were first-time offenders while the remaining 122,638 were recidivists. The number of multiple offenders has been on a decline since 2007, falling 5.7 percent in 2013 from 2012. The number of first-time offenders has been declining faster, with the 2013 figure representing a 10.9 percent year-on-year fall. These two trends translated into a record rate of recidivism.

The report also shows that of 39.5 percent of convicts released from prison in 2009 were imprisoned again within five years. But the rate varies between those released after serving their full sentence and those released on parole — 50 percent for the former and 28.7 percent for the latter. By the types of crimes, the re-imprisonment rate for the two groups of convicts was 14.5 percent vs. 5 percent for murder, 38.3 percent vs. 12.8 percent for robbery, 43.6 percent vs. 26.0 percent for battery and assault, 25.6 percent vs. 10.5 percent for rape and 27.7 percent vs. 15.3 percent for arson. But the rate for stimulant drug users is quite high for both groups — 60.2 percent vs. 41.2 percent. The rate for theft is also high — 57 percent vs. 36.9 percent. Among convicts released from prison in 2012, 5,100 or 18.6 percent of the total, were sent back to prison again by the end of 2013 — a 0.8 percentage point fall from the previous year. The government has a target of lowering the rate of re-imprisonment within one year after release to 16 percent or less by 2021.

Currently there are 103 facilities across the nation that help ex-convicts, convicts on parole and young people released from juvenile reformatories adjust to society. These facilities, run by operators approved by the justice minister, not only offer accommodation and food to these people but also give them life guidance and vocational training. Their operations are funded by donations as well as government subsidies.

The data in the white paper underline the need for the government to extend assistance to create more such rehabilitation facilities and to beef up their resources. The number of rehabilitation facilities for people addicted to stimulants and narcotics also should be increased.

Volunteer probations officers play an important role in the rehabilitation of ex-offenders. As of May 2012, there were only about 48,000 such officers nationwide. Many of them are aging and their work is tough. They receive no pay even though they are classified as part-time national public servants. The government should take steps to increase their number, including offering them compensation and enlightening the public about the importance of their work. Equally important will be for members of society at large to consider what they can do to help former offenders who need help to stay out of trouble.