Japan to Upgrade Care of Elderly Inmates 

By Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press

Japan

January 9, 2007

The swelling numbers of elderly inmates in Japan's prisons has prompted the government to begin a major revamp of its jails to provide elevators, handrails and wheelchair ramps for incarcerated seniors.

Renovation plans are set to begin by the end of March in three of the country's 75 prisons to accommodate seniors who require assistance, the Justice Ministry said this week.

The government will spend $76 million to create senior-friendly facilities for about 1,000 inmates, the first step in a program likely to be expanded in the future, ministry officials said.

The number of inmates 60 or older was 8,700 at the end of 2006, close to a threefold increase from a decade earlier. Older inmates make up about 12 percent of all inmates in Japan, according to the Justice Ministry.

Most elderly convicts are repeat offenders and have been convicted of theft or fraud, according to the National Police Agency. Less than 1 percent committed violent crimes such as murder, the agency said.

Experts believe some elderly inmates deliberately get themselves jailed because they see few options in the outside world.

"The number of elderly repeat offenders is on the rise because it is extremely difficult for them to start their life over again after release," said Maiko Tagusari, a lawyer specializing in prison conditions.

"Some of them even intentionally repeat petty crimes in an attempt to return to prison," she said.

In 2006, the total number of arrests across all age groups fell by 2.3 percent from a year earlier, but the number of arrested senior citizens rose by more than 10 percent, according to the National Police Agency.

About 900 elderly prisoners have trouble walking, feeding themselves or fulfilling prison duties, according to the ministry. A larger number have significant health problems but are able to take care of themselves well enough to live in prison without substantial assistance, the ministry said.

While those with dementia or serious health problems are kept at prison hospitals, most elderly inmates are in ordinary prisons and are required to provide compulsory labor.

The new prison facilities will be equipped with elevators, ramps and handrails in hallways and bathrooms, as well as medical staff trained for nursing care. Many prisons do not have full-time doctors.

Hisato Honda, a ministry official in charge of corrections, said the changes will improve living conditions for the inmates and make taking care of them easier for guards and prison officials.

"The idea is to relieve prison officials' burden of attending to the senior inmates," Honda said. "When they're in good health, senior inmates are fine. But once they get weaker, they're a big burden for everyone."

The graying of the prison population reflects a shift in Japan's overall demographics.

People over 60 account for about 27 percent of Japan's population, and that percentage is rising. The aging trend has caused concerns about Japan's fiscal future, as well as the welfare and living conditions of the elderly - including those in prison.

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