-Review-

Current Situation and Future Tasks for Psychiatric Services in Japanese Prisons

Toshiaki Nomura

Department of Psychology, Nippon Medical School

I outline the current situation and future tasks for psychiatric services in Japanese prisons. I describe the provision of facilities specializing in psychiatric services, preparation of legal aspects related to involuntary treatment, provision of therapeutic educational programs regarding addictive crimes, and the measures required for continuation of treatment after release from prison. I also discuss how, in the current system, under the "Act on Mental Care and Treatment for Persons who have Caused Serious Cases under the Condition of Insanity," unfairness arises in the treatment of mentally disordered offenders, requiring a division between medical care and justice (correctional institutions).

J Nippon Med Sch 2009; 76: 182-187

Keywords
mentally disordered offender, psychiatric services in prisons, forensic psychiatry, medical prison, Mental Treatment and Supervision Act

Correspondence to
Toshiaki Nomura, Department of Psychology, Nippon Medical School, 2-297-2 Kosugicho, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 211-0063, Japan
t-nomura@nms.ac.jp

Received, April 3, 2009
Accepted, May 8, 2009