A male inmate in his 50s being held in solitary confinement in prison in Miyoshi City, Aichi Prefecture, has died, prison officials said Monday.
Officials said the inmate was receiving medication for a chronic cardiovascular condition, Sankei Shimbun reported. There were no external injuries inflicted on his body, and the Nagoya District Public Prosecutors Office said an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.
According to prison officials, staff discovered the inmate lying face down on his futon around 7:45 a.m. on Sunday after failing to wake up at the scheduled wake-up call. When the inmate did not respond to repeated calls, he was taken to a hospital, where his death was confirmed.
There was reportedly nothing unusual when prison staff last checked the inmate’s cell around 6:30 a.m., officials said.
© Japan Today
19 Comments
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sakurasuki
Someone died in Japanese detention/prison again?
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/04/a5d6e9c74832-video-of-sri-lankan-who-died-in-detention-in-japan-shown-to-public.html
Toshihiro
I would love to see a thorough investigation on this. My speculation is while he wasn't physically beaten, he was probably starved, given his medicine late, sleep-deprived and just other forms of mental torture. Solitary confinement has also been studied to be the cause of death due to many factors, the most apparent of which is due to the mental toll of being locked up.
Hiro
Let see here. Normally the country has around 40k plus prisoners in prison very year. So 1 died for whatever reason. Huge news in here in japan
FourIce
The guy is free now...
Alan Harrison
The Japanese penalty / legal system at it's best - yet again.
ebisen
People die. That's life.
wallace
Why was he in solitary confinement?
Aly Rustom
Yup. Surprise Surprise
Antiquesaving
Nagoya again, why am I not surprised?
BertieWooster
If this were one isolated case, it would be a lot of fuss about nothing. But it is not. I don't have the exact figures, someone posted on JT that there were 810 similar deaths in 2022 and the police stopped issuing figures after that. In a tiny room, with no windows, no furniture, note even a table or chair, nothing to do, alone with your thoughts, not knowing when or if you'll be released, no lawyer, no communication with anybody, you lose your will to live. This does require investigation.
Quo Primum
It obviously must be because Japan Bad.
Isn't that the immediate kneejerk conclusion drawn all the time in JT comments sections?
I mean, Heaven forbid that we consider the possibility that the man was in solitary confinement because of ... I dunno, a legitimate reason.
Daniel Neagari
... the guy who died had a heart condition and was over 50 years old... lets see..... if the same guy was found dead in an apartment without any sings of struggle or damage, the main reason there will be a HEART ATTACK!!... people do die of that you know.
Quo Primum
I just found that JT post.
There were very precise numbers listed for each year between 2017 and 2022.
But interestingly, no source was provided.
One would think that the person posting the comment was drawing such precise numbers from some reputable source -- and would then, you know, share that source.
Plus, 810 deaths in Japanese prisons would be an average of 2.2 deaths per DAY.
Don't you think the Japan Times would be chock-full of stories about inmates' deaths on a regular basis, if it happened that often?
There are a lot of bogus "statistics" about a lot of things out there. Until and unless a reputable source is shared, be skeptical.
Daniel Neagari
Mmm I doubt that some commentators here follow your advice.
They follow more or less the same formula that the so called "WOKE" people do too... they only see and belive what fits to their view.
Mr Kipling
Did you miss this part?....
So guy in his 50's with a dodgy heart dies... ? News?
kaimycahl
First question WHY was he in solitary confinement? Second did he have access to the medication he needed to take for his chronic cardiovascular problem and was it given to him. Third did he take more than he normally should have just to get rid of himself, locked up and the mind will take you place you never been before. Lot of WHYs?
TheDalaiLamasBifocals
Is this news?
Unless there is an investigation that finds some wrongdoing, it's 'man with chronic heart condition dies' ...well, yes..
V Campbell
"...810 similar deaths in 2022."
That is a laughable "statistic." Nobody believes it. Try again.
NipponIchiGo
If society wants to jail people, then they need to provide proper treatment for them. Not leave at mercy to die or be killed.
If that is what they want - there are other approaches that do not involve making someone a ward of the state.