Photo/Illutration Prisoners feed cabbage to guinea pigs at Toyama Prison in Toyama on Nov. 12. (Kazuhiro Takeda)

TOYAMA--Animal therapy is taking root in prisons and reform schools across the nation to help inmates develop respect for living things and nurture the social skills they will need when they are free.

The programs target elderly inmates and those with psychological illnesses or intellectual disabilities.

In November, Toyama Prison started its own rehabilitation program focusing on animals.

Organizers hope inmates can heal themselves by interacting with the animals and return to society with higher self-esteem and motivation.

“Wow, it's so cute,” said one Toyama Prison inmate, observing a newborn mouse scamper on his outstretched palm. “Oh look, they don’t open their eyes.”

All 18 inmates in the prison's animal therapy program are aged at least 65 or have mild mental or physical disabilities.

During program sessions, they play with guinea pigs, rabbits and mice provided by the Toyama Municipal Family Park Zoo.

The prisoners' facial expressions soften when they feed the rodents or listen to their heartbeats with a stethoscope.

“I felt the importance of life in this small mouse,” one prisoner said. “It heals me. I felt so relieved.”

Toyama Prison has also offered yoga, singing and English conversation programs since fiscal 2013 to help elderly prisoners find meaning in their lives.

Correctional facilities across Japan have been struggling to devise ways to help aging inmates and tackle recidivism.

The average daily roster of inmates at Toyama Prison declined from a peak of 567 in fiscal 2010 to 330 in fiscal 2018.

Yet, nearly 30 percent of those in the prison in fiscal 2016 were recidivists who were back again within two years after their release.

One way to reduce recidivism is to help newly released inmates find secure housing and work. But if they lack sufficient social skills, they don't stand much of a chance of making it on their own.

Toyama Prison officials regard animal therapy as one way to nurture such skills.

After observing inmates engage in an animal therapy session, Hiromi Kobayashi, the prison's administrative manager, said she sensed they had made progress toward having more respect for life, adding that she hoped the inmates will “reflect on their lives before imprisonment and look forward to the day they are released.”

The Harima Rehabilitation Program Center, a prison operated jointly by the public and private sectors in Kakogawa, Hyogo Prefecture, introduced animal therapy more than a decade ago with an emphasis on helping those with mental illness or intellectual disabilities.

Currently, 10 or so prisoners interact with dogs and are even allowed to care for them for up to six months. This privilege is offered every two years.

The center also hopes inmates can build relationships with others through communication with animal trainers.

To reintegrate into society, inmates “must learn various skills and abilities” in addition to performing their regular duties while incarcerated, said an official.

Since 2009, Shimane Asahi Rehabilitation Program Center, a prison operated jointly by the public and private sectors in Hamada, Shimane Prefecture, operates the nation's only program to rear puppies as candidates for guide dogs.

An official said 260 prisoners had experienced rearing about 60 puppies as of the end of fiscal 2018.

The prison also operates a program that allows inmates to care for horses for three months.

Seven reform schools are operating animal therapy programs, including rearing abandoned dogs, in fiscal 2019, according to the Justice Ministry.