Prosecutorial discretion and judges' suspensions of prison sentences are vital elements in the processing of defendants that results in a low imprisonment rate. The processing returns to the community many of those persons who would be prisoners in most other countries. This policy rests in the belief that most offenders have the capacity for self-correction without intervention of the criminal justice system. When considered part of governmental services, community-oriented corrections is conceived as probation, parole, and prisoner aftercare; however, the conception of community-oriented corrections extends beyond formally designed and implemented programs and enlists the motivational forces of community life. One chapter elaborates on the several relationships between community and corrections in both historical and contemporary Japan. The administrative features of adult probation and parole are discussed in one chapter, followed by a chapter on the characteristics of adult probationers and parolees. Two other chapters address juvenile corrections in the community (family court and juvenile classification homes) and the characteristics of juvenile probationers and parolees. The characteristics of offender supervision in Japan are discussed in another chapter. The final chapter examines the results of the supervision of probationers and parolees, both for adult and juvenile offenders. Chapter notes, 238 references, and a subject index