Japan’s Loneliness Crisis: Elderly Women Commit Crimes for Companionship and Healthcare
Japan’s aging population faces a stark reality, as evidenced by a quadrupling of female prisoners aged 65+ between 2003 and 2022. Many of these women commit petty crimes, primarily theft, driven by poverty and a lack of social support, finding prison offers stability, community, and essential services unavailable outside. This phenomenon highlights systemic failures in eldercare and social support, with some inmates even preferring prison’s structure to the hardships of life outside. While the government is implementing initiatives to address this, including improved post-release support and accessible housing, the scale of the issue remains significant.
John Q. Hosedrinker