Why are elderly people in Japan willingly going to prison?
2025-01-21 18:31:41
TiranaPost
Some seniors are willing to pay money to go to prison, even if they have to work in prison factories. One reason: The company they lack outside. Other reasons could be benefits like free healthcare and care for the elderly. Japan is already facing a serious demographic crisis, and the situation is likely to get worse. The number of senior citizens living alone in Japan is projected to increase by 47% by 2050.
Japan's Tochigi Women's Prison, located north of Tokyo, highlights a growing social issue among the elderly: loneliness. CNN, which was given access to Japan's largest women's prison, reported that the prison population reflects the aging demographic outside, where isolation is so severe that some older inmates prefer life behind bars. Citing prison officials, the report said that many older inmates would willingly pay to stay in prison, as life inside offers the stability and companionship they lack in the outside world.
Inside the prison, the women are engaged in factory work and receive regular meals, free healthcare and eldercare — essentials that many people struggle to access independently. For some, the structured environment offers a sense of community and purpose that is missing from their solitary lives outside, the CNN report said. This grim reality underscores Japan's broader challenges in addressing the needs of its aging population, where a lack of social support and resources leaves many elderly individuals seeking refuge in places like prisons.
