SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALREPORT OF THE THIRD WORLD CONGRESS ON PROBATION
From 12-14 September 2017, the Third World Congress on Probation (the “Congress”) was held at the
Shinagawa Prince Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, co-hosted by the Rehabilitation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice(“MOJ”) of Japan, the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and theTreatment of Offenders (“UNAFEI”), the Japan Rehabilitation Aid Association, The National Federation of
Volunteer Probation Officers (Japan), The National Association of Offenders Rehabilitation Services (Japan)
and the Japanese Association of Offenders Rehabilitation. The main theme of the Congress was“Development of Probation and the Role of the Community”. Mr. Shoji Imafuku, Director of the General
Affairs Division, Rehabilitation Bureau, MOJ of Japan and Ms. Minako Shoji, the government attorney of
Rehabilitation Bureau, MOJ of Japan served as the Masters of Ceremonies.
Participants
1. 371 participants from 34 countries/regions attended this Congress. The participating countries andregions were: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Georgia, Hong
Kong, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Lesotho, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Moldova, Myanmar,
New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, Taiwan,
Uganda, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Viet Nam.
Opening Ceremony
2. Ms. Naomi Unemoto, Director-General of the Rehabilitation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice of Japan,
welcomed the participants to the Congress and expressed her hope that the Congress would lead tothe development of probation and community corrections throughout the world. Ms. Unemoto
concluded by declaring the opening of the Congress.
3. The Honourable Yoko Kamikawa, Minister of Justice of Japan, welcomed the participants attending
the Congress from 34 countries and jurisdictions and thanked the many Japanese volunteers andpractitioners who extended their support for the Congress. Minister Kamikawa recalled that Japanʼslong history of offender rehabilitation dates back to the late nineteenth century, explaining thatcurrent efforts are supported by Japanʼs community volunteers, including 48,000 volunteer probation
officers (“VPOs”). She also noted that these efforts are founded on the principle that “No one will be left
behind”, which is the essential idea of the “Sustainable Development Goals”. Finally, Minister
Kamikawa expressed her hope that this Congress will strengthen probation and community
corrections and the development of personal and professional networks.
4. Welcome remarks were also delivered by Mr. Gerry McNally, President of the Confederation ofEuropean Probation (“CEP”); Ms. Erica Preuitt, President of the American Probation and Parole
Association (“APPA”); Ms. Anne Connell-Freund, President of the International Community
Corrections Association (“ICCA”); and Mr. Peter van der Sande, President of the International
Corrections and Prisons Association (“ICPA”).
Keynote Speeches
5. Dr. Frank Porporino1, Senior Partner, T3 Associates Training and Consulting, Inc. (Canada), presented
on the theme of “Developments and Challenges in Probation Practice: Is There a Way Forward for
Establishing Effective and Sustainable Probation Systems?” Acknowledging that probation andcommunity corrections face a number of challenges, including the current political environment,
insufficient financial resources, overburdened and undervalued staff, the lack of statistics oncommunity corrections, and so on, Dr. Porporino observed that modern probation practice isstruggling to define its proper aim. There is a growing consensus among experts in the field thatprobation must engage communities and families in providing support to offenders, focusing on
achievements and strengths rather than just targeting deficits, imbuing the system with the corevalues of justice, fairness and respect, and creating a truly integrated, evidence-informed model ofDr. Porporinoʼs presentation material is available on the Congress website:
http://www.moj.go.jp/HOGO/WCP3/program/pdf/Speeches_FJP.pdf
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practice. Dr. Porporino proposed extending this model by offering five additional themes: 1)
challenging the trend of mass probation and the “net-widening” effect; 2) challenging the value ofintensive supervision and surveillance, replacing invasive monitoring with voluntary, self-imposedcompliance; 3) coupling procedural justice, in which offenders have fair opportunities to provide theirside of the story with the belief that the authorities will listen, with skilled and personalized care andsupport; 4) defining occupational professionalism by awakening a “relational revolution” in probation
practice in which practitioners are expected to relate to offenders through acceptance, respect,support, empathy, and belief; and 5) enhancing leadership among practitioners to drive change. To
achieve this change, importance must be placed on leveraging relationships with offenders.
6. Prof. Peter Raynor2 of Swansea University (United Kingdom) presented on “Effective Practice: The
Past, Present and Future of Probation Research”. When modern probation began in the 1950s in aperiod of optimism, probation was viewed as the conditional suspension of punishment coupled withpersonal care and supervision by a court welfare officer. From the ʻ70s into the ʻ90s, probation
experienced a period of pessimism resulting from the 1974 publication of Martinsonʼs famous “Nothing
Works” article, followed by a period of research-based optimism through 2003. Now probation is in aperiod of evidence-based realism, in which research is focused on measurement of inputs and outcomes
and comparison of results, but what is missing is a clear understanding of the activities and needs ofprobationers, making it necessary to widen the scope of research from program design to focusing on
skills and implementation. These skills include listening, understanding (empathy), helping, being
reliable and consistent, modeling and reinforcing appropriate thinking and behavior, and appropriate
challenging. Probationers need help and support from others rather than monitoring and surveillance.
To provide this support, probation staff need to receive appropriate training, be empowered, and takeresponsibility for the outcomes. Studies focusing on skills used by probation officers show differences
ranging from 12% to 32% in the effectiveness of probation officers trained in certain skills (such as prosocial modeling) compared to those who were not. In the new political climate, we must beware of“post-truth” policymaking, as evidenced by the privatization of probation in England and Wales. As
post-truth policies will ultimately fail, priorities for future research include: continuing to examine skills
and implementation̶how and what works; learning from ex-offenders about their pathways out ofcrime and how we can help to support desistance; studying how successful policies achieve support
and legitimacy̶from judges, politicians, and communities affected by crime; understanding theactivities and needs of probationers; and measuring and comparing practices to ensure effective
probation practice.
7. Prof. Todd Clear3 of Rutgers University (United States) presented on “Imagining Community Justice
Values in Probation Practice”, introducing “community justice” as a transformative model for
probation practice. Recounting his early experiences working in prisons, Professor Clear found that
prisons are not places where rehabilitation is possible. Throughout his career, and despite efforts toabolish prisons, the United States experienced the largest period of growth in its penal population. The
prison system continued pursuing the objective of controlling offenders inside and outside of prison, as
well as control of correctional officers, while the 40-year goal of U. S. probation has been to turncommunity corrections into community incarceration. Citing the recent report published by theHarvard Executive Series on Community Corrections, which represents a consensus on the role ofcommunity corrections in the twenty-first century, Professor Clear explained that the report has
planted a stake in the ground that calls for a transformation of community corrections, which he would
call “community justice”. Community justice stresses three core values: 1) the well-being principle, 2)
the harm-avoidance principle, and 3) the human dignity principle. This statement of orienting
principles should be deemed as radical, at least from the perspective of the United States. Professor
Clear urged practitioners to become agents of community justice, not just community corrections, by
focusing on public well-being rather than merely public safety. Thus, community justice is in thechange business, not the control business. Rather than focusing on the reduction of recidivism, practiceand reform should focus on helping people become better parents, siblings, and neighbors. The
Professor Raynorʼs presentation material is available on the Congress website:
http://www.moj.go.jp/HOGO/WCP3/program/pdf/Speeches_PR.pdf
3
Professor Clearʼs presentation material is available on the Congress website:
http://www.moj.go.jp/HOGO/WCP3/program/pdf/Speeches_TC.pdf
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community justice movement promotes success rather than punishing failure and pursues goal-based,
strengths-based, victim-centered, family-inclusive and community-based approaches to rehabilitation.
To foster change in others, we must proceed on the core assumption that it is the natural state of aperson to want to live a better life, to be a positive influence on others, and to be respected by peers.
This creed should guide us in practice toward achieving public well-being.
8. Ms. Tomoko Akane4, Ambassador for International Judicial Cooperation of Japan, presented on thetheme of “The Future of Probation: Asian Experiences and the Role of the Community”, which
considered improving the future of probation through the engagement of the community, such as
through the efforts of VPOs in Japan. While the Tokyo Rules have long established non-custodial
measures and public participation as global norms in community corrections, implementation varies
significantly throughout the world. Too often, incarceration leads to social isolation, radicalization, andrecidivism. To mitigate or avoid these negative impacts of incarceration, Ambassador Akane offered athree-pronged model for the future of probation. First, involvement of community volunteers, such as
VPOs and cooperative employers, is crucial. For example, Japanese VPOs meet with offenders as
individuals, not as probationers, and build close personal relationships based on trust, leading
probationers toward the path of desistance, while cooperative employers offer juveniles and adultoffenders employment despite prior criminal records. The importance of active engagement ofcommunity volunteers was emphasized, introducing a wide range of activities of VPOs in East andSoutheast Asia. Second, broader public engagement by reaching out to all segments of the community
is an important step toward building resilient and sustainable communities, which Japan is pursuingthrough its high-level governmental commitment to the “Movement for a Brighter Society” in an effort
to promote a culture of lawfulness. Third, cooperation among criminal justice agencies is important todetermine which persons are suitable for probation or community corrections, as is sharing
information and cooperation among criminal justice agencies to achieve rehabilitation of individual
offenders, citing the example of collaboration between prosecutors and probation officers in Japan.
Ultimately, people are inspired to change not through systematic control but through personal
relationships and patient encouragement and support from people they respect and trust.
Workshop Sessions
9. Twelve workshop sessions5 were held during the Congress, which provided opportunities to moredeeply explore policies, practices and research on probation and community corrections from aroundthe world. The overarching themes addressed during the workshops included the development ofpolicies and practices, evidence-based theories and practices, offenders with special needs and the roleof the community. Around 70 academics and practitioners presented during the workshop sessions,detailing the community corrections practices from 17 countries.
Special Speech
10. Mr. Ryohei Miyata, Commissioner for Cultural Affairs, Japan, delivered his special speech on the roleof art in offender rehabilitation, reviewing his activities to promote and enhance the presentation ofJapanese culture. He stressed the importance of working directly with each person, including
offenders, to nurture their creativity and spirit of self-expression and to use creativity to turn initial
failure into success.
Opening Remarks on September 14
11. Mr. Keisuke Senta, Director of UNAFEI delivered the opening remarks on September 14. Mr. Senta
emphasized the significance of the Congress in sharing global knowledge and experiences. As well assummarizing the discussion of the previous days, he noted that community corrections has been a
topic of great importance to UNAFEI for several decades, including the first drafting of the United
Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Non-Custodial Measures ̶ commonly known as the Tokyo
Rules. He expressed his hope that this Congress will develop personal and professional networks
which will lead to the expansion of many cooperative projects like UNAFEI has been conducting.
Ambassador Akaneʼs presentation material is available on the Congress website:
http://www.moj.go.jp/HOGO/WCP3/program/pdf/Speeches_TA.pdf
5
Most of the presentation materials presented during the workshop sessions are available on the Congress website:
http://www.moj.go.jp/HOGO/WCP3/.
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Plenary Session
12. The Plenary Session,6 on the theme of “Probation, Public Participation and Public Engagement”, wasmoderated by Mr. Gerry McNally, President of the CEP, and Mr. Steve Pitts, Ambassador of the CEP.
Mr. Pitts presented an introduction to the session, emphasizing the centrality of the public andcommunities in effective probation work, and the value of international learning.
13. Presentation 17, on “Volunteer Probation Officers in Japan̶Community Volunteers Supporting
Offender Rehabilitation”, provided an overview of the activities of VPOs in Japan. Ms. Kimiko Iino
presented a case study of a juvenile probationer and highlighted VPOsʼ continuous support, despite
recommission of delinquency, of probationers and the use of affection, patience and community
resources to allow the probationer to achieve success. Mr. Mitsuru Iino outlined the activities of
Ryugasaki VPO associations focusing on the activities of Ryugasaki Offenders Rehabilitation Center,
which provides parenting-skills classes, VPO training, and places where VPOs can consult senior
VPOs for advice or meet probationers. VPOs are also engaged in crime prevention activities,
collaboration with schools, and supporting at-risk youth through after-school programs. These
activities help to identify at-risk youth and seek to establish inclusive communities.
14. Presentation 28 was presented by Dr. Naras Savestanan, the Director-General of the Department of
Probation, Ministry of Justice Thailand, on the topic of “Development of Probation in ASEANCountries”, reported on the status of probation in ASEAN and presented the ASEAN Roadmap for thedevelopment of probation, which emphasizes knowledge sharing, capacity building and international
cooperation. In ASEAN, the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore have structured volunteer
participation in probation, and all other ASEAN countries are working toward the establishment andimplementation of probation laws, institutions and practices. In Thailand, to enhance public
engagement, the minimum qualifying age for VPOs has been decreased, the amount of remuneration
has been moderately increased, the appointment process has been expedited, and efforts have been
undertaken to expand channels for recruiting.
15. Presentation 39 was presented by Mr. Clement Okech, Assistant Director of Probation and Aftercare
Service, Kenya on the topic of “Facilitating Offender Supervision and Re-Entry through Community
Support Service: The Role of Volunteer Probation Officers Program in Kenya”, reviewed the concept
and core functions of VPOs in Kenya and introduced the Kenyan governmentʼs Guiding Principles on
Volunteerism. Volunteers are important in Kenya because of the need for a greater role ofcommunities in the supervision and rehabilitation of offenders. To encourage public participation,
Kenya provides structured training and public recognition to VPOs. The volunteer nature of VPOs,
including the lack of compensation, is viewed as a challenge to effectiveness, yet public engagement inselection and recruitment has become a fundamental characteristic of the VPO system in Kenya.
16. Presentation 410 was presented by Ms. Audrey Alards, Circles Coordinator of the Dutch Probation
Service, on the topic of “Best Practices of CoSA in the Netherlands”, introducing the European model
for circles of support, which is a citizen-based approach that includes the core member (the sex
offender), volunteers, professionals, and the circle coordinator. Core members may volunteer toparticipate or are referred by professionals; they must be assessed as medium to high risk, and theymust join voluntarily, accept responsibility for their conduct, and agree to the sharing of information
among members of the circle. Volunteers must apply, be interviewed and undergo training. Three tofive volunteers work as a group, and they form a circle supported by a coordinator. A key goal of thecircles is to lead the core members to the realization that they have a place in society.
17. Presentation 5 11 was presented by Ms. Rosemary Caruana, Assistant Commissioner, Community
Biographies of speakers and abstracts of presentations are available on the Congress website:
http://www.moj.go.jp/HOGO/WCP3/program/pdf/plenary_speaker.pdf
7
For presentation materials, visit: http://www.moj.go.jp/HOGO/WCP3/program/pdf/SessionJapan.pdf
8
For presentation materials, visit: http://www.moj.go.jp/HOGO/WCP3/program/pdf/SessionThailand.pdf
9
For presentation materials, visit: http://www.moj.go.jp/HOGO/WCP3/program/pdf/SessionKenya.pdf
10
For presentation materials, visit: http://www.moj.go.jp/HOGO/WCP3/program/pdf/SessionNetherlands.pdf
11
For presentation materials, visit: http://www.moj.go.jp/HOGO/WCP3/program/pdf/SessionAustralia.pdf
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Corrections, Corrective Services of New South Wales, Australia, on the topic of “Reducing Reoffending
and Social Impact Investment in Australia”, introducing a model for financing offender rehabilitation
services that allocates the most resources to the offenders who have been assessed as having thehighest risk of reoffending. Social Impact Investment (SII) takes an integrated approach to providing
services to offenders in the community. SII operates in partnership with not-for-profit groups and the
National Australia Bank. If the program is successful, the government will reimburse the initialinvestment required to deliver the service and share the net financial benefits generated by the
program. Payment is outcome based as measured by reduction in reoffending. Thus, by establishing
public-private partnerships, the risk of providing rehabilitation services is borne by all parties, i.e., thegovernment, the service provider and the financier.
18. During the discussion, it was pointed out that there is tremendous innovation in public engagement.
An important task is to determine how these various approaches can be shared and how they may betailored for implementation in a way that reflects the social and cultural circumstances in each country
or jurisdiction. The presentations demonstrate that there are tremendous opportunities for public
engagement that offer the promise of successful offender rehabilitation and reintegration into thecommunity with the support of the community.
Guest Speech
19. Mr. Asato Takasaka of Japan candidly described his experiences as a juvenile delinquent and an adultoffender, and he graciously shared the very personal story of his path toward rehabilitation. Mr.
Takasaka was motivated to change with continuous support of many people; his parents, a volunteer
probation officer, a family court investigating officer and his lawyer. He believes that all juvenile
delinquents can change themselves and their futures, but they cannot change themselves alone. Thus,
he has dedicated himself to helping youth avoid delinquency and crime. He stressed the importance of
not giving up on youth no matter how difficult the situation is and arranging support using a teambased approach.
Receptions
20. At the welcome reception on September 12, welcome remarks were delivered by Mr. Daizo Nozawa,
the President of the National Federation of Volunteer Probation Officers of Japan, Mr. Masaharu Hino,
Chairperson of the Asia Crime Prevention Foundation, and Dr. Zin-Hwan Kim, President of the Korean
Institute of Criminology. In addition, letters of appreciation were presented from the Minister ofJustice of Japan to APPA, CEP, ICCA, ICPA, and Dr. Frank Porporino for their contributions inoffering support and advice throughout the preparation and delivery of this Congress.
21. At the reception on September 13, the Honourable Yoko Kamikawa, Minister of Justice of Japan, Mr.
Fujio Mitarai, President of the Japan Rehabilitation Aid Association, Ms. Yuriko Koike, Governor ofTokyo, and Mr. Taichi Sakaiya, President of the Asia Crime Prevention Foundation delivered remarks.
Cultural and other traditional activities and performances were held by the Volunteer Probation
Officers Association in Support of UNAFEIʼs Activities and other volunteers. The participants werewelcomed by musical performances of the Japanese harp (koto) and bamboo flute (shakuhachi),participated in a Japanese tea ceremony, received gifts of Japanese paper crafts (origami) andJapanese fans (uchiwa) with Japanese calligraphy, and enjoyed a Japanese drum performance by
Zuiho-Taiko and traditional Japanese dance (awa-odori). In the reception hall, Japanese paintings(ukiyoe) were displayed by Tokyo University of the Arts along with a portable shrine (mikoshi)
provided by the Japanese Correctional Association.
Closing Ceremony
22. Dr. Tetsuya Fujimoto, President of the Japanese Association of Offenders Rehabilitation, expressed his
sincere appreciation to the many individuals and organizations that made the Congress a resounding
success, particularly the high-level presentations delivered by the keynote speakers. Noting that
attendance at this Congress was the highest in the series of congresses, he stated that the World
Congress on Probation is clearly proceeding in the right direction and is succeeding in achieving its
goals of strengthening international cooperation and broadening the global professional network. As
probation practice must take each countryʼs culture into account, diversity is a crucial element of theWorld Congress. Dr. Fujimoto expressed his hope that the World Congress will continue as a forum for147

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information sharing and ongoing consideration of the vision, mission and future of probation. In closing
his speech, Dr. Fujimoto acknowledged that the Congress included presentations covering a wide
range of topics from all over the world, and emphasized that the importance of the role of thecommunity was the underlining principle throughout this Congress. Lastly, he confirmed the values of
the community by explaining the logo design of the Third World Congress on Probation named the“Symphony of Three Rings”, which consists of three rings representing community, people, and faith,belief and heart.
23. Following the speech, a brief handover ceremony was held to transfer the administration of theCongress to the host of the Fourth World Congress. Ms. Rosemary Caruana was invited to the podium
for the handover ceremony. A plaque was presented to Ms. Caruana by Dr. Fujimoto.
24. Ms. Rosemary Caruana, Assistant Commissioner, Community Corrections, Corrective Services, NewSouth Wales, Australia, thanked the organizers for their role as hosts of the Third World Congress on
Probation and invited the participants to attend the Fourth World Congress on Probation, which will
be held in Sydney, Australia in 2019.
Study Tours
25. Study tours were held on September 12, and they included visits to Offender Rehabilitation Facilities(Halfway Houses) (“Kawasaki Jiritsu-kai” and “Ryozen-kai”), Offender Rehabilitation Support Centers(“Kawasaki Nanbu Offender Rehabilitation Support Center” and “Ota Offender Rehabilitation Support
Center”), Fuchu Prison，Tama Juvenile Training School, and the Tokyo Probation Office. The study
tour also included home visits with Japanese VPOs, during which participants visited VPOsʼ homes,
enabling them to experience Japanese culture and to learn how Japanese VPOs work with offenders.
Asia Volunteer Probation Officers Meeting
26. As a side event of the Third World Congress on Probation, the Second Asia Volunteer Probation
Officers Meeting was held on September 12. The meeting was attended by VPOs and officials
responsible for community corrections from the following countries: Korea, the Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand and Japan. Observers from China and Kenya also attended the meeting. In total, around 200
participants attended the meeting. The details of the meeting can be found in the “Report of theSecond Asia Volunteer Probation Officers Meeting”.
Publications
27. The following publications were published by the Congress Organizing Committee and were
distributed to the Congress participants:
1) “Volunteer Probation Officers and Offenders Rehabilitation” written in English includes an overview
of the Japanese VPO system, case reports from Japanese VPOs, a research paper by Dr. Frank
Porporino and Dr. Andrew Watson on the Japanese VPO system, and overviews of the VPO systemsof Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Kenya.
2) “Sekai no Hogokansatsu (Probation Systems around the World)” written in Japanese outlines theprobation and community corrections systems of 16 countries (Thailand, the Philippines, Korea, China,
Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Romania, Germany,
Finland, the United States, Canada and Kenya).
3) “When People Change” is a DVD in English that introduces probation and community corrections
practices in Japan by interviewing the persons working with offenders in the community.
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