From the Japan Times:
Opinion divided on life term without parole
by Daisuke Sato (Last In A Series), Feb 21, 2013
The inmate, who has now served 15 years, has been behaving well and prison guards often describe him as an “exemplary” prisoner.
He was initially sentenced to death by a district court. However, a high court determined that there was a possibility he could be rehabilitated and reduced the punishment to a life term. This sentence was later finalized.
“The death penalty may have been upheld” if his trials had been conducted today because sentencing has gotten tougher, the inmate said in an interview in the prison’s visiting room.
Technically, inmates serving life terms can be released on parole if they serve 10 years, demonstrate signs of reform and meet other requirements. The reality, though, is that the period such inmates are actually serving has been getting longer, recently reaching an average of about 30 years, according to data released by the Justice Ministry.
Even so, the Chugoku inmate is happy just for the opportunity to atone. Continue reading
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