3rd Anniversary of Shokushin (Special Mentoring) ProjectSupporting fresh starts for youth released from juvenile detention or prisons The Nippon Foundation holds commemorative symposium

A full three years have passed since The Nippon Foundation, in cooperation with various companies, launched its Shokushin (Special Mentoring) project to provide employment and educational opportunities to young people after their release from reformatories or prisons, to prevent recidivism and give a fresh start to their lives. In commemoration of this anniversary, The Nippon Foundation held a symposium on March 1 at the Nippon Zaidan Building to bring further attention to the project and promote a better understanding of the kinds of social support that facilitate the reintegration of these young people into society.

The symposium opened with remarks by Takeju Ogata, President of The Nippon Foundation, who noted that over the three years of the project, many companies had hired people after their release from reformatories or prison. Nevertheless, regardless of the efforts made to support their return to society, they still have difficulty holding a job. Mr. Ogata stressed that the project’s low success rate does not mean it was a mistake, but rather that the time has come to consider comprehensive public-private sector policies to address the situation going forward. He also added, “This is one of The Nippon Foundation’s main projects, and going forward we will continue talk with companies, governments and government agencies, and local communities to facilitate these people’s return to society.” These remarks were followed with a recap by The Nippon Foundation staff of the project’s activities over the first three years.

The next segment featured two success stories, with two former prisoners who have gone on to start their own businesses discussing their experiences and thoughts for the future. They told about the apprehension they felt from potential employers when interviewing for a job, and how they overcame this and gained their trust by being 100% honest and open about their desire to hold a job.

The last segment was a discussion on the theme “Correctional Facilities and Support for Rehabilitation” with Takafumi Horie, a well-known entrepreneur who was imprisoned for violating securities laws, and Masatsugu Nakai, president of the Osaka-based okonomiyaki restaurant chain Chibo, one of the project’s first employers. Mr. Horie pointed out:
“It is important that society as a whole think about how to support people when they leave prison, and showing them kindness will reduce recidivism. Providing employment is one way to do this. Also, they do not have homes, so we need to increase the number of facilities like halfway houses. There is a severe shortage of these facilities.”