Chieko Nono

"It is a very difficult issue, considering privacy of (former offenders) and their smooth reintegration into society after they leave correctional facilities," Nono said. "One of our major tasks is to ensure their rehabilitation and to create the base for their livelihood."

Some newspaper editorials have backed the controversial practice in parts of Britain and the United States of notifying residents that former pedophiles live nearby.

National Police Agency Commissioner General Iwao Uruma on Jan. 6 cited the Nara case to back a tracking system.

"The police want to establish a system that can locate people with a history, though I think cautious consideration is necessary for alerting nearby residents from the human rights standpoint," Uruma said.

The Japan Times Weekly: Jan. 15, 2005
(C) All rights reserved