Japan’s elderly are lonely and struggling. Some women choose to go to jail instead. : By Jessie Yeung, Hanako Montgomery and Junko Ogura / CNN

Article shared by Nuzhat Shahzadi

Dear Editors,

This heartbreaking news (source CNN) caught my attention. Medical research has beaten plague, cholera . . . checked many bacterial and virus-borne illnesses like Covid, RSV, Strep, as well as NCDs, etc. that have prolonged life, possibly? 

But we haven't done so well in combating loneliness, especially among the elderly. Society tends to make them invisible, worthless. Elderly are looked upon more as a burden . . . and when they don't have financial or physical or mental independence, the situation is beyond tragic.

Shall we Share this article with our readers? It's depressing but true.
Many thanks, Nuzhat

Click here for the article

Summary

Japan is experiencing a surge in elderly female prisoners, with the number of prisoners aged 65 or older nearly quadrupling from 2003 to 2022. The country's aging population is increasingly reflected in its prison system, with many elderly women deliberately reoffending to return to prison, where they find stability, healthcare, and companionship that they lack outside. With a rising elderly population, Japan faces challenges in providing adequate social support and preventing recidivism among seniors who struggle with financial insecurity and loneliness.

Quotes

"Being alone is a very difficult thing, and I feel ashamed that I ended up in this situation." 
"The elderly population is ballooning so fast that Japan will require 2.72 million care workers by 2040."

"Being alone is a very difficult thing, and I feel ashamed that I ended up in this situation." – Akiyo, reflecting before her release.


"The elderly population is ballooning so fast that Japan will require 2.72 million care workers by 2040." – Government projection on aging population challenges.