Japan prisons turn to mindfulness to help rehabilitate inmates
KYOTO (Kyodo) -- Saito"Breathe in through your nose, then breathe out. Breathe in again, and slowly exhale."Three inmates followed the instructions du
Mindfulness meditation is being introduced in Japanese prisons to aid in inmate rehabilitation. At Okazaki Medical Prison in central Japan, inmates participated in a two-month program that included yoga and meditation sessions led by Takuro Tanimoto, an associate professor from Bukkyo University in Kyoto. The practice, rooted in Buddhist principles but stripped of religious elements, has been adopted in juvenile correctional facilities and prisons across Japan to help inmates manage their thoughts and emotions better.
Tanimoto believes that mindfulness can help reduce stress, improve concentration, and reduce reoffending. Inmates who have tried the technique report being able to calm themselves down during difficult moments. The program aims to be more prevalent following a major change to Japan's penal system in 2025, which abolished separate prison sentences with and without compulsory labor.
However, there is a lack of trained staff and research on mindfulness in criminal tendencies, so the first step is to train prison staff to teach the practice.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
