Daily Life At The Detention Prison
As in the pre-indictment period, bail is virtually unheard of for foreigners. Life in the detention prison is much more regimented than at the local jail. There are numerous rules covering all aspects of behavior, including how one sits in the room.
In order to do anything, e.g. see a doctor, write a letter, purchase snacks, etc., one must submit a written request, called a gansen. The suspects are usually confined to individual cells with little opportunity to talk with other inmates. The most common complaint about life at the detention prison is boredom.
Please visit the Ministry of Justice website for more information on Penal Institutions in Japan (PDF - 10,333kb).
Inmates at detention prisons are not allowed phone calls, and mail continues to be censored. Visiting hours at the detention prison are strictly limited, with no provision for after-hours access. Visitors are allowed to make only one visit a day, which is generally limited in duration. The timing of visits may also be affected by the availability of language-qualified police officers to monitor the meeting. Meetings with the lawyer and the Consul, however, are not monitored.
Visitors are permitted to supply reading material and clothing. Other items, such as soap, snacks, toiletries, etc., must be purchased at the prison shop. Prisoners can purchase items on their own behalf from the prison shop by submitting a gansen. The guards have a list of items available for purchase. Prescription medications should be obtained through the prison doctor.
Japanese prisons are generally safe places with none of the violence or gang activity that the popular cinema associates with prison life in the U.S. While the many rules and regulations at the prison may seem petty and mindless to you, they are in fact part of the overall security plan which creates a physically safe environment for the detainees. It is precisely because of this intense regimentation that the guards are able to effectively control the prison population.
Follow this link for Part VI, the Sentencing, Appeals, Deportation and Fines.