Topic: 2025 – Treatment of Prisoners
Country: Japan
Delegate Name: Ava Nguyen
Human Rights Committee
Treatment of Prisoners
Nation of Japan
Ava Nguyen
Forest Hills Eastern High School
The current state of prisoner’s rights in the criminal justice system has been a growing debate in the human rights committee. Prominent issues such as overcrowding, poor sanitary conditions, violence, and neglect of healthcare violate the United Nations’ Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (The Nelson Mandela Rules). The NGO Human Rights Watch claims that Japan’s treatment of prisoners does not fully meet the degree that The Nelson Mandela Rules require, specifically the country’s use of solitary confinement, conditions for death-row prisoners, and the treatment of imprisoned women. In December 2022, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) adopted the resolution now known as the “Kyoto Model Strategies,” which focused on model strategies to develop the reduction of reoffending, through rehabilitation and reintegration—supporting crime prevention. The country of Japan has welcomed and contributed to this policy, wishing to take further steps in reform in rehabilitation systems to improve the human rights of prisoners.
Japan recognizes the international standards for treatment of prisoners and the need for action in reforming the penal system. In June of 2025, Japan enacted a Penal Code Amendment passed in 2022, which reformed the country’s correctional facilities for the first time in 118 years. This amendment removed the distinction between imprisonment with labor and that without, meaning prison labor is no longer mandatory, allowing more time for educational and rehabilitation programs that aim to reduce reoffending. With the new amendment intact, 24 new correctional services were introduced that focused on specific rehabilitation for categorized groups based on their mental or physical needs—aiming to better the quality of a detainee’s life during and after imprisonment. Additionally, Japan affirms that regulations regarding the use of restraints, solitary confinement protection cells, and disciplinary codes are being reviewed aiming to align more closely with the Nelson Mandela Rules. Japan supports increasing the mandate of its Penal Institution Visiting Committees (PIVCs) in order to conduct inspections that assess the status of penal facilities, to increase transparency and accountability. With a higher frequency of visits, Japan will continue following the goal of improving compliance with the international standards while also preserving public safety. Japan is committed to working with United Nations bodies and human rights NGOs to exchange positive practices and accept criticism that improves the progress of prison reform.
The country of Japan encourages the United Nations to advocate for regulations in prison management and to establish stronger mechanisms that follow all expectations of the Human Rights Committee, to ensure all detained prisoners are treated with dignity and justice.
