People who Support Offender Rehabilitation

For rehabilitation activities such as probation and crime prevention, it is difficult for national organizations alone to have a sufficient effect, and various people called rehabilitation volunteers, such as volunteer probation officers, use their respective characteristics for rehabilitation by actively participating in various activities.

 

1. Volunteer probation officers
2. Volunteer probation officers’ organizations (volunteer probation officer committee, Federation of Volunteer Probation Officers’ Associations)
3. Offender Rehabilitation facilities
4. Juridical Person for Offender Rehabilitation
5. Women’s Association for Rehabilitation Aid
6. Japan Federation of Big Brothers and Sisters
7. Cooperating employers

　Volunteer probation officers join the volunteer probation officer committee in the district each is assigned to and performs activities such as training programs, crime prevention activities, liaison coordination with relevant organizations and public relations activities.
　In addition, there are Federation of Volunteer Probation Officers' Associations and regional volunteer probation officer federations for each probation office and regional parole board. Furthermore, the National Association for Offenders Rehabilitation Services has been formed as a national group.

　Offender rehabilitation facilities and self-reliance support homes are facilities that provide accommodations and food for a certain period of time to those who were released from penal institutions or are on probation with difficulty becoming independent immediately due to having no relatives or living in a place that may impede rehabilitation. In addition to providing accommodations and meals, they also contribute to the prevention of recidivism and delinquencies by providing lifestyle guidance, career guidance and self-reliance support during the protection period. 　In offender rehabilitation facilities, according to the actual situation, efforts to enhance treatment are conducted. For example, social skills training (SST) is carried out to improve interpersonal relationships, and educational programs are carried out to improve problems related to drinking and stimulant use. In addition, interacting with local residents is important.
　Furthermore, designated facilities also conduct activities that focus on recovery from addiction of controlled substances, and they connect those with particular difficulty living independently, whether from old age or disability, to welfare support.
　Please see the following for details.
・Securing Residences for Released Prisoners with Nowhere to Go ~Role of Offender Rehabilitation Facilities
・What are offender rehabilitation facilities?

● Self-Reliance Support Homes
　These homes promote independence by making use of the respective characteristics of NPOs. Before being permitted to provide such services, the NPOs must register in advance with probation offices. There are various kinds of facilities, and there are places where people live in groups, and there are also single apartments. The staff of these homes perform daily life guidance every day.
　Please see the following for details.
・Securing Residences for Released Prisoners with Nowhere to Go ~Role of Offender Rehabilitation Facilities
・Urgent housing security and self-reliance measures

　Juridical person for offenders corporations are private-sector entities that operate offenders rehabilitation services with the approval of the Minister of Justice based on the Offenders Rehabilitation Services Act. These corporations offer accommodation to those that need such support, find residences, offer loans and life counseling, provide assistance to businesses aimed at helping rehabilitate those who have committed crimes, liaise and coordinate, and conduct awareness-raising activities for these services. →Tax system for offender rehabilitation organizations