Japan's penal system is currently directed by the Bureau of Corrections of the Ministry of Justice and is subdivided into eight headquarters. There are several types of correctional centers varying in intensity of custody and specializing in a variety of offender needs. Upon admission to correctional supervision, all inmates are classified and assigned a suitable institution and an appropriate treatment program. The prison system focuses on inmate work. Community involvement, primarily through volunteerism, is the key to the Japanese correctional system and to their justice system in general. The Japanese correctional system focuses on reintegration and the cultivation of offender personal commitment to a responsible lifestyle. The American system has moved in the opposite direction, focusing on greater and more lengthy separation from the community under a punitive regime. 5 notes, 12 references.