Osaka to get criminal records of sex offenders

The Justice Ministry will provide the Osaka Prefectural Government with convicted child molesters’ criminal records starting Oct. 1, when the nation’s first ordinance takes effect obliging such convicts to report their addresses after leaving prison.

Under the ordinance, originally proposed by then-Gov. Toru Hashimoto and enacted in March, people convicted of sex offenses against victims under age 18 must report their address and contact information to the governor for five years after release from prison. Failure to report could draw a penalty of up to ¥50,000.

The prefectural government will ask penal institutions to confirm the information provided by ex-convicts, submitting written approval from them to do so at the same time.

The Corrections Bureau is planning to distribute posters at penal institutions to introduce the new ordinance in Osaka and will consider responding to inquiries if other prefectures or cities implement similar ordinances, Justice Ministry officials said Monday.

The Miyagi Prefectural Government had studied an ordinance to monitor convicted sex offenders by GPS, but discussions were stalled after the devastating earthquake and tsunami hit the region in March last year.

The Japan Times, Sep. 26, 2012
See original article at:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120926f2.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+japantimes+(The+Japan+Times%3A+All+Stories)