EFFECTIVE INSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT PROGRAMMESFOR SERIOUS AND VIOLENT JUVENILE OFFENDERSMayu Hayashi*

I. HARUNA JUVENILE TRAINING SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
Haruna Juvenile Training School for Girls (hereinafter referred to as HJTS) is one of the nine juvenile
training schools for girls in Japan. HJTS accommodates those juveniles who have been adjudicated by a
Family Court to have come under Category I (14 or over but under 16 years old), Category II (16 or overbut under 20 years old), or Category III (16 years old or over but under 23 years old with advanced criminal
tendencies) mainly in the metropolitan area.
HJTS is the only juvenile training school for girls in Japan that provides long-term treatment
programmes for up to a maximum of two years. Inmates in these type of programmes need a relatively longtime with a possibility of extension of the specified term as needs arise. The Family Court makes somerecommendations on the treatment programmes in its decision in accordance with the criminal tendenciesof the juvenile. Based on the recommendations, one of the eight treatment courses is provided in line withthe educational requirements of the juvenile. Specifically, HJTS has academic education courses for those
who need compulsory education or senior high school education (E1, E2), living guidance courses for those
who are extremely difficult to treat (G1, G2, G3), a vocational guidance course (V2), and special education
courses (H1, H2). The G2 course targets juveniles of foreign nationalities who need treatment different tothat given to Japanese juveniles. Juveniles who are designated as requiring G2 treatment and need special
consideration are sent to HJTS from family courts nationwide. The G3 course was established for suchjuveniles as will need special correctional treatment due to the heinous nature of their crimes and extremelycomplex and serious problems. Juveniles designated as G3 at a juvenile classification home in the Nagoya
region are also sent to HJTS. Furthermore, HJTS confines such juveniles as had been transferred to an
adult court and received a prison sentence in the said region up to the age of 16 years. The course for suchjuvenile prisoners is referred to as the JtW course.

II. CASE STUDY
Now that the profile of HJTS has been outlined, examining an actual case of treatment of a juvenile who
committed injury resulting in death will help in considering effective educational programmes for youths
who have committed serious and violent offences.

A. Overview
This case deals with actively implementing the “victimization awareness programme” for a juvenile
who assaulted a passive victim over a period of hours with seven boys, causing the death of the victim.
During her stay at HJTS, she heard the feelings of the bereaved family from a probation officer in the Kanto
Regional Parole Board. Through this experience, along with correctional education at HJTS, she came torealize her great culpability in depriving the victim of his life and made a firm resolution to take good care ofothers as well as herself.
B. Facts of the Case
1. The Juvenile
This case concerns a 16 year-old girl who was committed to HJTS under Category II (16 or over but* Chief Specialist, Classification and Aftercare Co-ordination Section, Education Division, Haruna Juvenile Training School for
Girls.

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under 20 years old) by Saitama Family Court in August, 2002. Upon this decision, the juvenile (hereinafterreferred to as “Hanako,” an assumed name) was admitted thereto in the same month. She was placed in theliving guidance course. In July, 2005, she was released on parole. The period of her detention at HJTS wasapproximately two years and eleven months.
2. History of the Delinquent Prior to this Offence
Before Hanako committed this offence, she had violated the Traffic Control Law and received a protective
measure of “dismissal after hearing” from the Family Court and was required to take lessons in the Traffic
Control Law.
3. Incident
Hanako committed the crime of bodily injury resulting in death. In June, 2002, she and seven accomplices
continuously assaulted a 15 year-old boy for three hours in a park. The victim was repeatedly struck on his
chest and abdomen with fists and the saddle of a bicycle. His assailants also kicked him, threw the bicycle
towards him, drove a motorcycle into his abdomen and chest, bound his wrists with a rope and hung him
on athletic equipment in the park, and burned his pubic hair with a lighter. As a result of these persistentassaults, he died in the park the following morning from a loss of blood resulting from rib fracture andrupture of the liver.
4. Features of the Juvenile’s Delinquency
From childhood, Hanako had defective hearing, and grew up with delusions of persecution and a sense ofisolation. Therefore, she developed a biased sense of value whereby she could impose violent sanctions on a
person just because she disliked him or her.
5. Family Background
There are five people in Hanako’s family: her father, her mother, her elder sister, her elder brother, andherself.
Except for her brother, who is a company employee, all the family members were unemployed. The
family had an average economic status. Since the time of her birth, her father was often sick and was
repeatedly hospitalized. Her mother had to work hard to make a living and thus was not often at home.
Additionally, her mother’s temper was variable. Hanako had a jaundiced view that her mother did not takecare of her as well as her sister and her brother. She did not feel as if her life had a purpose enough and herhome was not a solid basis for her to rely on.
Two years after her admission to HJTS, her parents purchased a duplex house and moved in with theirelder daughter and her family, but the father and the elder daughter did not get along well. For that reason,
her parents left after only two months, and moved to an apartment where Hanako later came to live after
release.
6. Life History
Hanako was born in 1985. During her first year at junior high school, her academic performance was
not good. In 1999, her rebellious acts became habitual. She smoked, violated the school dress code, andprotested against schoolteachers. She felt bored at school. When she was 14 years old, she self-harmed by
cutting her wrist. In 2001, she graduated from junior high school. She was enrolled in a part-time seniorhigh school. As a senior high school student, her academic performance was not good. In her first year, sheverbally abused a teacher and a schoolmate and received a disciplinary measure from the school. When she
was 16 years old, she was the victim of an attempted rape. In 2002, she physically assaulted a friend. In thesame year, without having a driver’s license, she drove a borrowed motorcycle. In the same year, she again
self-harmed by cutting her wrist. She was arrested the day after the attack causing the death of the 15-yearold and dropped out of senior high school. She was committed to a juvenile classification home.
7. Attributes of the Juvenile(i) Physical Condition
Hanako has defective hearing. When she was six years old, she suffered from inflammation of the rightand left middle ear. Her disease was treated, but the hearing problem remained. Her right ear is especiallyweak, and she has worn a hearing aid in her right ear since the first year of junior high school.

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RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No.78(ii) Mental Condition and Personality
Hanako’s IQ is 73. She is not good at handling tasks speedily, yet her work has few errors. She has anadequate level of general knowledge, writing and verbal expression abilities. Her activity level is high.
She is short of self-restraint and acts on impulse. She tends to lose her temper over trivial matters andher emotions are unstable. Her impulse to turn to violence is sometimes directed towards others, andsometimes towards herself. She wants to rely on others, but has a deep-rooted distrust of others, especially
adults. Thus, she does not consult others to find constructive solutions to her problems.
8. Treatment Policy Recommended by the Juvenile Classification Home
Hanako did not have someone to talk to who could understand the loneliness and suffering caused by her
defective hearing and communication problems. She began to develop a sense of atonement for the victim
through a series of legal measures that accompanied her hearing and treatment. However, she still could
not embrace the gravity of killing a person, and tried to escape from the difficulties facing her and grew
desperate. Therefore, it was highly recommended that Hanako deepen her atonement towards the victim
and make compensation for the consequences of her action throughout her life by considering seriously thegrief and pain of the bereaved family.
Besides, it was proposed that Hanako reflect on her life and be aware that sanctioning others withviolence is wrong. Furthermore, she needed to accept the weaknesses behind her anger, and cultivate her
attitude to solving her problems in a constructive way. Lastly, she had not yet made a realistic and concrete
future life plan, and it was necessary for her to make such a plan by incorporating compensation for thevictim’s family. She had the plasticity to be rehabilitated by treatment and warm support around her, taking
the above points into consideration.
9. Disposition
In her hearing, Hanako received a disposition of commitment to a juvenile training school to accommodate
Category II inmates with a recommendation by the Family Court that she needed a considerably longcorrectional treatment of approximately three years.

C. Treatment Process at HJTS
1. Individualized Educational Goals
An individualized treatment plan was formulated for Hanako. Her individualized education goals were as
follows:(a) Prompting her to understand the pain of the victim and the grief of his bereaved family to sense thegravity of this offence, learn the preciousness of life and become firmly determined never again tophysically assault someone;(b) Teaching her how to assert herself appropriately, developing problem-solving skills and interpersonalabilities to maintain harmonious relationships with others;(c) Instructing her to sort out her feelings towards her family members, discuss ways to compensate
the victim’s bereaved family, and make a solid life plan.
In order to accomplish these final goals, step-by-step educational objectives were established at eachstage of the education process.
2. Lower Second Grade (92 days)(i) Educational Objectives at this Stage(a) Considering problems in her life so far.
(b) Being able to honestly express her feelings.
(c) Mastering basic lifestyles in the school.

(ii) Educational Contents and Methods(a) Guiding the juvenile to reflect on her life to date through introspection and thematic composition.
(b) Stabilizing her mood, motivating her to lead a life in the training school and establishing trusting
relationships with an instructor through individual interviews. Considering what she really feels
about her family through meetings and correspondence with family members.
(c) Instructing her in basic lifestyle principles through orientation and group drill training.

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Selected Participants’ Papers(iii) Especially Effective Treatment at this Stage
Individual interviews were most effective at this stage. Because of her hesitation to show her weak
points, she was not good at expressing her true feelings; however, with this method, she began to realize theimportance of explaining her true feelings to others.
(iv) Treatment Matters Given Special Attention
Staff members, including the Principal Specialist of the Education Division, the Educational ResearchSpecialist, the Chief Specialist of the Planning, Coordination, and Education Section, the Dormitory
Chief, and the Instructor in charge of Hanako formed a project team and examined this case periodically.
The members jointly trained her according to the plan. She had a two-week intake and a subsequent twoweek individual treatment period. Thereafter, she was transferred to a group dormitory. Group dormitory
instructors had explained to other students that Hanako had a hearing problem. Because of suchconsideration in advance, other students were mindful of her handicap and approached her kindly.
3. First Term of the Intermediate Stage I Upper Second Grade (114 days)(i) Educational Objectives at this Stage(a) Reflecting on her life before admission and thinking of situations where she resorted to violence.
(b) Interacting with others without making herself look good or bluffing.
(c) Sorting out her feelings towards her family members.

(ii) Educational Contents and Methods(a) Through a treatment programme for violence, prompting her to realize that she has resorted toviolence without any thought for the future and tried to solve problems with physical force.
(b) Prompting her to express her feelings non-verbally by using sand play therapy, a treatment method
where toys are placed in sand inside a box to exhibit one’s inner world. Along with this, individualinterviews and exchanging a diary with her instructor helped her to establish a rapport with her
instructor. By doing so, she gained experience and confidence in speaking freely about what is on her
mind and acknowledging her problems.
(c) Promoting mutual communication between Hanako and her family members through visits andcorrespondence.
(iii) Especially Effective Treatment at this StageIn the treatment programme for those with violent tendencies, she had group sessions and did roleplaying. This class was effective in having her be aware that she wanted to get things as her own way, withphysical force, if necessary.
(iv) Treatment Matters Given Special Attention
At this stage, she started doing introspection on the date of the victim’s death each month. She was likely
to be influenced by her self-righteous, preconceived ideas. Because she lacked empathy and it was difficultfor her to establish smooth interpersonal relationships, instructors advised her how to relate to otherinmates or staff.
(v) Matters Especially Mentioned at this StageIn December 2002, Hanako self-harmed without attempting a suicide and received a warning from thePrincipal Specialist of the Education Division. In a meeting with her father in the same month, she could
not apologize to him for her offence. She interpreted this as a lack of repentance for the offence and became
angry with herself. For this reason, she hit herself on the left elbow and scratched the back of her left hand.
4. First Term of the Intermediate Stage II Upper Second Grade (153 days)(i) Educational Objectives at this Stage(a) Considering her problems and reasons for resorting to violence easily.
(b) Co-operating with others and not being emotional when she does not have her own way.
(c) Conveying her true feelings to her family members.

(ii) Educational Contents and Methods
Through role-lettering, Hanako hypothetically exchanged letters with others. This facilitated her inunderstanding other people’s feelings by considering a situation from their viewpoint.

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By offering incense on the anniversary of the victim’s death, she came to imagine herself visiting his
bereaved family after her discharge and apologizing to them. Also, on the first anniversary of the victim’s
death, an individual memorial service was held and she really recognized the victim’s death as a reality.
(iv) Treatment Matters Given Special Attention
In order to build confidence and a positive self-image, she took intensive classes in sales as a businessskill. She was awarded a sales clerk third grade certificate.
5. Second Term of the Intermediate Stage I Lower First Grade (153 days)(i) Educational Objectives at this Stage(a) Deepening empathy with the pain and the grief of the victim and his bereaved family.
(b) Judging surrounding situations appropriately without being affected by the atmosphere and her own
feelings.
(c) Understanding the effect that her actions have had on her family and thinking about future family
relationships.

(ii) Educational Contents and Methods(a) Prompting her to think about the gravity of her offence and to recognize the preciousness oflife through the cultivation of aesthetic sentiments by raising small animals and growing plants,
individual interviews, and introspection. Additionally, having her realize the suffering of the victim
and people related to him by reading books and watching videos on the feelings of victims at the timeof an offence and thereafter.
(b)	Making her aware that her friendships and associates, as well as her offence, were problematic,
through lectures and discussions in the treatment programmes for pre-delinquency. Also, throughassigned duties in her dormitory, improving her levels of co-operation and a sense of belonging to agroup.
(iii) Especially Effective Treatment at this Stage
Through role-lettering, she hypothetically wrote a letter to the bereaved family and replied to the letterby herself. She realized how self-centered she was, and she become aware of the deep sorrow the bereaved
family must be feeling. Moreover, she realized the difficulty of conveying her apologies to the bereaved
family.
(iv) Matters Especially Mentioned at this StageIn December 2003, her behaviour became wild and she received a disciplinary measure of reprimandfrom the Superintendent. In the previous month, she had had a small misunderstanding with an instructor,
but complained disproportionately. She was continually furious, and verbally abused the instructor by callingher “noisy,” and saying “Do not stand beside me.” Soon thereafter, she hit and kicked the door and the wallof her room with her fist and foot several times.
6. Second Term of the Intermediate Stage II Lower First Grade (182 days)(i) Educational Objectives at this Stage(a) Realizing the problems she has in resorting to violence and the grave responsibility she carries.
(b) Speaking and behaving with good consideration for other people’s feelings and situations.
(c) Being aware of the role she plays in her family, in view of the compensation for the damage she has
caused.

(ii) Educational Contents and Methods(a)	Through school events and performing duties assigned to her, fostering her self-reliant attitude andresponsibility for her conduct.
(b) Having her imagine the feelings of her family members towards her and appreciate them bypracticing “naikan ,” which is the Japanese method for reflecting on one’s family relationships. It
requires the person to consider “what my parents did for me,” “what I did for my parents,” and“what trouble I caused to my parents.”(iii) Especially Effective Treatment at this Stage
Introspection using articles and essays written by victims of juvenile crimes gave her insight into her

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offence from multiple perspectives.

(iv) Matters Especially Mentioned at this StageIn April 2004, she was moved to another group dormitory. With this transfer, she recognized that
she tried to have human relationships based on power and always wanted to be superior to others. She
associated this notion with her offence and decided that she would correct her problem of looking at humanrelationships only from a power-structure viewpoint.
7. Pre-Release Stage I Upper First Grade (184 days)(i) Educational Objectives at this Stage(a) Realizing the gravity of the offence she committed and the importance of life.
(b) Considering others and behaving responsibly and with consideration for the future.
(c) Discussing with her family members and realistically planning for the damage she caused to thevictim’s bereaved family.

(ii) Educational Contents and Methods(a) Through interviews with a counsellor specializing in life and mind issues, having her realize thesignificance of life. Child-rearing lessons provided her with an understanding of respecting life andknowledge on giving birth to and raising a child.
(b) Through vocational guidance (firstly horticulture; secondly, a caring services course), encouraging
her to acquire a professional licence and a steady work habit.
(iii) Especially Effective Treatment at this StageFor six months, she studied in a caring services course. She learned from this class how moving andfulfilling it is to consider other people’s standings and the benefits of mutual help. She was awarded a second
grade certificate in “home help” caring services. She hoped that she would take advantage of the licence andget a job in the field of human welfare, to compensate, in a sense, for her offence.
(iv) Matters Especially Mentioned at this StageShe had interviews with instructors and wrote thematic compositions to reflect on her offence and how
she came to commit it. Consequently, she noticed her egotistical ideas.
8. Pre-Release Stage II Upper First Grade (174 days)(i) Educational Objectives at this Stage(a) Making a firm resolution not to resort to violence again, based on her deep understanding of the
preciousness of life.
(b) Gain confidence through taking responsibility, performing her assigned roles, and being
acknowledged by others.
(c) Thinking about how she should live from now on and making a concrete life plan, including
compensation for the victim and his bereaved family.

(ii) Educational Contents and Methods
Through volunteer activities in social and child welfare facilities in the community, guiding her to a deep
understanding of the meaning of respect for life, consideration for others, and support for others.
(iii) Especially Effective Treatment at this Stage
Through extramural education in social and child welfare facilities and practical training in nursing care,she realized the necessity for people to supplement and help one another without distinguishing between
the strong and the weak, and the able-bodied and the handicapped. She felt the worth of being helpful toothers and being appreciated for what she did.
(iv) Matters Especially Mentioned at this StageAt this stage, her sorrow for the victim led her to believe that she would give up her own chance of a
happy future due to her strong sense of guilt and remorse for her crime. However, gradually she reaffirmedthat she would need to live a steady and sincere life while always remembering her regret, being aware of
the bereaved family’s situation, and compensating them step-by-step. In June, 2005, she had an interview
with a probation officer.

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Then, she heard from the probation officer that he had a letter for her from the victim’s mother. In thesame month, she read the letter in the presence of her instructor. She was faced with the real feelings of the
bereaved family towards her and realized the harsh reality awaiting her after release, which had previously
been beyond her imagination.

III. PROBLEMS AND FUTURE IMPLICATIONS
As we have seen in section I above, HJTS accommodates many juveniles who have pronounced
proclivities to commit crime, for example, those who have committed an atrocious crime, are associatedwith organized crime and have been committed to a juvenile training school twice or more. Juvenile training
schools also house many juveniles who are greatly in need of protection; for example, because they arebeing brought up in an unstable family where their parents or guardians lack abilities to take care of the childproperly.
Although part II of this paper outlined a relatively successful example of the victimization awarenessprogramme, I had some cases where juveniles reoffended after release, even though they had lived a stable
and solid life inside the institution. In order to prevent this problem, the roles of juvenile training schools are
to strengthen a juvenile’s mental resolve and to adjust his or her environment to a degree that will allow hisor her smooth and systematic re-socialization.
Firstly, instructors at juvenile training schools need to have a rapport with the juveniles and empower
them. Juveniles should be rehabilitated and educated in how to establish a settled life for themselves after
discharge, reducing the likelihood of reoffending. In order to develop juveniles’ social skills, programmes
are to be selected carefully to match the individual need of each juvenile. For instance, in our case study
described in Chapter II, the victimization awareness programme was given to Hanako, who committed
an offence which has had a serious influence on the victim. As juvenile delinquency issues become morediverse and complicated, we need to develop and enrich treatment programmes to respond to each youth’s
need appropriately. For example, HJTS has not yet implemented an anger management programme;
however, there is much room for developing and offering such a programme for violent and serious juvenile
offenders.
Secondly, it is most difficult to change the juvenile’s surrounding circumstances for the better; yet,juvenile training schools should tackle this demanding task by utilizing such methods as the programme on
one-day or overnight visits to the juvenile at the pre-release stage from his or her family members, which
has already been implemented in HJTS. In the programme, the family members discuss various issues
that will affect their family life after release in order to gradually reduce anxieties. Another role of juvenile
training schools is to function as a liaison between related agencies and to establish support systems whicha juvenile can take advantage of as helpful social resources. For instance, employment support is provided
while a juvenile is still in a juvenile training school. Therefore, an inmate may look for a job through the
public job security offices during his or her stay in order to arrange for post-release life. Furthermore,
aftercare, providing guidance and advice for parents or guardians of juveniles, is also crucial and this is
stipulated in the Amended Juvenile Law 2007. We need to further strengthen comprehensive treatment ofinmates in this direction.
In conclusion, juvenile justice proceeds with the close connection of all the parties involved; juvenile
offenders, victims, families, community residents, and juvenile justice professionals. Thus, juvenile justiceultimately aims to strike the best balance in its five functions of deterrence, incapacitation, restoration,
rehabilitation, and retribution.

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