In Japan, the Ministry of Justice operates both the prisons and the juvenile institutions, so that interchange of staff between the two systems is common. This is unlike many Western systems, Western Australia included, where the administration of juvenile facilities is conducted by separate departments. Japan's juvenile institutions are divided into two main categories--classification centers and treatment centers. The use of classification centers to assess offenders is similar in Japan and Western countries. The length of stay for residents in Japanese treatment centers averages much longer than in Western Australia centers. A short term in a Japanese center would be 6 months; whereas, 1 to 2 months would be a short stay in Western Australia. Japan's institutions tend to be large, with capacities of well over 100 residents, unlike Western Australia where the only boys' maximum security center has a capacity of 45 and the girl's center a capacity of 20. The low escape rate of Japanese institutions is incredible by Western standards; one institution had only three or four escapes within the last 10 years, a pattern similar to other institutions. The Japanese institutions do not have an aftercare service; Western Australian institutions have an integrated system of institutionalization and resettlement in the community. The overall rehabilitation approach in Japanese institutions is on self-reflection and introspection as means for changing attitudes and behavior; Western institutions tend to rely upon formal behavioral modification techniques. Overall, Japanese program planning based on data collection is thorough and the corrections approach for juveniles is humane. For related articles, see NCJ 74380.