NCJ Number
128749
Date Published
1990
Length
164 pages
Annotation
This analysis of crime and the criminal justice system in Japan focuses on the reasons for the nation's low crime rate and insignificant drug abuse problems and examines the nature and role of each component of the criminal justice system.
Abstract
The analysis emphasizes the difficulty of determining whether sociocultural factors or the nature of the criminal justice system are responsible for the country's low crime rate. It notes the centralization of the Japanese criminal justice system, the consistency in criminal justice administration, and the system's orientation toward crime control more than due process. Other factors discussed include the high rate of lay participation in the criminal justice process, the orientation of the criminal justice system toward prosecution, and the extensive use of suspension of prosecution and short or suspended sentences. Further sections focus on the homogeneity of Japanese society, the wide acceptance and enforcement of societal norms, and the emphasis on harmony in interpersonal relationships. Structural factors such as the lengthy school day and week, strict gun control, widespread use of private security, and the country's relative prosperity are also examined. Implications for crime prevention and control in the United States are discussed as well. Figures, tables, notes, index, and 140 references