Nearly 1 in every 5 women doing time in a Japanese prison is over age 65. These seniors tend to commit very minor, non-violent crimes as a means to continually return to the relative safety and comfort offered by the prison system. Ms. O, a 78-year-old inmate, has been caught stealing rice, a mango, energy drinks, tea, and coffee on various occasions. She views prison differently than most: “Prison is an oasis for me—a place for relaxation and comfort. I don’t have freedom here, but I have nothing to worry about, either. There are many people to talk to. They provide us with nutritious meals three times a day.” Though the Japanese government is not likely keen on using the prison system as a mean to care for their elderly, there exists a significant shortfall between the projected population of the elderly and caregivers available to serve.
See Lauren Alix Brown, Nearly 20% of Women in Japan’s Prisons Are Seniors, Quartz, March 18, 2018.
Special thanks to Joel C. Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.
