Information came from document reviews and site visits and covered alternatives to imprisonment at all stages of criminal proceedings including investigation, prosecution, adjudication, and disposition. The terminology used for alternatives varies from one country to another, as does the nature and extent of the legal framework for the use of alternatives. For a variety of reasons, most of the countries have experienced increases in crime in recent years. Most countries have some form of police diversion and give prosecutors discretion regarding prosecution or court diversion. Noncustodial alternatives to imprisonment include fines, suspended sentences or suspended implementation of sentences, and probation. Community service orders are used in only three countries and on an experimental basis. A few countries use other sanctions including compensation, reconciliation, disqualification, and community service. For offenders serving sentences in prison, the two major alternatives are remission and parole. Day release, prerelease, pardons, and amnesty are also used. Country-by-country profiles, tables, figures, and discussion of adult probation in Japan