The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-10-14
REFORM IN JAPAN
TOLD BY A DELEGATE

" VIII, ~ Wy wv
markable changes in the penal laws
and the prison administration OF
Japan have occurred since the adop-
ton of the new criminal code in
Japan in 1908, according to T. San
agi, commissioner of the prison bu-
reau of the Japanese department of
Justice, addressing the international
Prison Congress this afternoon. 1T
seems to us now" said Mr.. Sanagi.
"as if our criminal code must have
belonged to an entirely different age.
"The new criminal code recognizes
fully that the circumstances under
which similar crimes are committed
differ widely, and that the penalties
therefore may properly differ. More
over, the suspension of imprison-
ment may occur when the sentence
is for not over two years. BY the
Japanese form of indeterminate SEN
tence a prisoner may obtain his pro-
visional release at the end Of one
third of his sentence, and life pris-
oner is eligible for ticket-of-leave at
the end of ten years of imprison-
ment. Furthermore the cases of the
aggravation of penalty for repeated
offenses have been diminished. The
number of persons who commit re-
peated offenses tends annually to in
crease.
Gin the new Japanese criminal
code the age at which responsibility
for crime commences has been raised
from twelve to fourteen years. BY
our new code the dread of punish
ment has been augmented. From
the standpoint of criminal policy
and in view of the objects and prin-
ciples of the new code, the results so
far have been satisfactory.
Impressions of the finger prints
of all prisoners are obtained and
kept in a central Identification bu-
reau. There is now segregation of
young prisoners of less than eighteen
years apart from older prisoners.
Special treatment is given to juven-
lie delinquents up to the age of
eighteen. Jails must be inspected at
least once in tive years. Persons af-
flicted with infectious diseases speci-
fed in the contagious disease law
may be refused. The unclaimed
bodies of deceased prisoners may be
given for dissection
Speaking of the need for the pro-
per training of prison officials, Mr..
Sanagi stated that Japan now main
tans two schools for prison officials,
one for new guards and noe for chief
wardens. The terms of instruction
are four months. "The business of a
prison is complicated and laborious,
and the term of four months is by no
means sufficient for instructing pris-
on officers in all that concerns pris-
on administration. At present the
number Of Japanese prisons is 119.
Provisional liberation has proved
successful. A ticket-of-leave man
must report monthly while on pro-
PRISON REFORMS IN JAPAN.
Continued From Page one.)
visional liberation. About IS per
cent of those liberated do not have
to be returned to prison during pa
role. There is no privision by the
government for prisoners released on
ticket-of-leave, but there are fifty.
seven private societies for protect.
Ing discharged prisoners. During
1909, LIT prisoners obtained as
sistance at the hands Of these soci
cites.
I'm Japan, in 1908, 21s,ss1 per
sons were admitted to prison. Thief
and gambling are the principa
causes Of Imprisonment, except min
or violations Of police regulations
By far the largest number Of sen
fences are for less than six months
On December 81, 1909, there wer
72.457 inmates in Japanese prisons
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