Historical Study on the Formation of Policies for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities Involved in Crime and Delinquency

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K23253
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0108:Sociology and related fields
• Research Institution: Japan Women's University
• Principal Investigator: SUEMATSU Megumi 日本女子大学, 人間社会学部, 研究員 (90844704)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 知的障害者処遇 / 低能者 / 免囚保護 / 懲治場 / 少年監獄

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined the treatment of mentally retarded persons in juvenile prisons and correctional institutions during the Meiji and Taisho periods, with the aim of clarifying the formation of policies for mentally retarded persons who were involved in crime and delinquency. As a result of the study, it was found that the treatment of the mentally retarded in juvenile prisons was aimed at their "social life" after their release from prison, and that it was a protective and educational practice to "make them independent and self-reliant in the world" and "help them enter social life. These findings confirm that support for persons with disabilities involved in crimes and delinquency was based on a certain historical process, and that various welfare measures were being tried to stabilize their lives and reintegrate them into society after their release.

Free Research Field

知的障害者福祉研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、少年監獄で取り組まれていた知的障害者処遇は彼等の出所後の「社会生活」を見据えたものであり、保護的・教育的な内容をもった実践であったことが確認できた。また浦和監獄における出獄人保護事業においても「身体虚弱」で「貧困」な者がその対象者とされ、収容と授産等の活動をもって救済が図られていたことがわかった。これらのことから、行刑分野においても福祉的な視点を持った取り組みが一定の組織的な広がりをもってすすめられていたことが把握でき、これをもって、少年行刑分野における福祉的実践の萌芽が捉えられたと考える。またこれらの研究成果において、社会事業史研究の進展に一定の貢献ができたものと思量する。