To prevent the repeat of sexual offenses, it is important to seamlessly provide training after release from prison as well as constantly examining the effectiveness of the training in prison.
In February, a man charged with forcible indecency causing injury and another offense against an elementary schoolgirl was sentenced to seven years in prison in the Nagasaki District Court.
The man previously served a jail sentence for committing the crime of indecent assault and took part in a treatment program within the prison for the prevention of sexual recidivism, after having already served a sentence for killing two female junior high school students. He committed his latest crime about four months after being released, having served his full sentence.
A man arrested on the charge of killing an elementary schoolgirl in Tsuyama, Okayama Prefecture, had undergone the treatment program while serving a jail sentence for assault and battery of an elementary schoolgirl and others. After being released from prison, he committed attempted murder of a female junior high school student. The ruling in the attempted murder case pointed out that the treatment program failed to produce any result.
Prevention of repeat offenses is important to maintain security. Sexual crimes greatly violate the dignity of victims. The rate of sex offenders being sent back to prison is higher than for other crimes, such as murder or robbery.
It is a grave situation that there has been a series of former prisoners who became repeat offenders after their release, even after participating in the treatment program. It is necessary to reexamine the content of the program.
Effectiveness not proved
The program was introduced in 2006 after an incident in which a girl was kidnapped and killed in Nara. A group of about eight prisoners takes the program for four to nine months. Based on cognitive behavioral therapy, the program has them analyze their own characters, which lead to their sexual crimes, and learn how to avoid repeat offenses.
The program is also provided at probation offices to those who are released on parole. So far, a total of about 15,000 people have undergone the treatment program.
According to the Justice Ministry, the rate of recidivism among those who underwent the program in prison was 12.8 percent, while that of those who did not was 15.4 percent. The difference is only 2.6 percentage points. It cannot be said that the effectiveness of the program has been proved.
On the other hand, the rate among those who underwent the program both in prison and at probation offices was one-fifth that of those who were released after serving their full sentence without participating in the program. This indicates that measures to counter repeat sexual crimes are indispensable after release.
The government cannot force training on those who have completed their full sentences. It is obvious that emphasis should be placed on the prevention of repeat offenses by those who have completed their full sentences, but the issue is a challenge that remains unsolved. The ministry must take countermeasures quickly.
The National Police Agency receives information from the Justice Ministry on the release of prisoners of violent sexual crimes against children, and police officers make regular visits to their houses. The Osaka and Fukuoka prefectural governments have ordinances to oblige former prisoners to report their addresses to local governments. There are some private institutions that provide them with treatment and counseling services.
The training program alone is not sufficient to prevent the repeat of sexual offenses. It is vital to undertake various methods in combination.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 12, 2019)
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