Japan has been a peaceful place throughout its demographic changes. It's not about being "awful" (inflicting maximum misery) but about effectively correcting problem behaviours. This actually requires a high degree of discipline and order among prison staff, not unlike raising children.
Life in Japanese prison is highly regimented, expectations of correct behaviour are high, and inmates are not allowed to freely interact and form a prison culture. This is in contrast to the US, where prison is effectively crime university. There are also effective post-correctional structures, eg. hiring discrimination against convicts isn't legal.
I'm arguing that Japan is a model of penal efficiency, getting a lot more bang for penal system buck, not that their system is most effective in absolute terms.
Edit: Japan spends ~14 USD per prisoner per day[1] and the US spends ~110 USD[2].
Life in Japanese prison is highly regimented, expectations of correct behaviour are high, and inmates are not allowed to freely interact and form a prison culture. This is in contrast to the US, where prison is effectively crime university. There are also effective post-correctional structures, eg. hiring discrimination against convicts isn't legal.
I'm arguing that Japan is a model of penal efficiency, getting a lot more bang for penal system buck, not that their system is most effective in absolute terms.
Edit: Japan spends ~14 USD per prisoner per day[1] and the US spends ~110 USD[2].
1. https://www.moj.go.jp/content/001409459.pdf
2. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/09/22/2023-20...