The Documentary Podcast

Japan's Elderly Crime Wave

The Documentary Podcast

Elderly pensioners in Japan are committing petty crimes so that they can be sent to prison. One in five of all prisoners in Japan are now over 65. The number has quadrupled in the last two decades, a result it seems of rising elderly poverty and loneliness, as seniors become increasingly cut-off from their over-worked offspring. In jail old people at least get a bed, a routine and a hot meal, and for many, as Ed discovers, the outside world can seem like a threatening place. For the prison authorities it means an increasingly ageing population behind bars and the challenges of dealing with a range of geriatric health issues. Produced and reported by Ed Butler. (Image: Elderly Inmate "Kita-san" at Fuchu Prison, Tokyo. Credit: BBC)

Next Episodes


The Documentary Podcast

Songs from the Depths of Hell @ The Documentary Podcast

πŸ“† 2019-01-27 05:30 / βŒ› 00:50:52


The Documentary Podcast

Closing Uganda’s Orphanage @ The Documentary Podcast

πŸ“† 2019-01-24 14:45 / βŒ› 00:26:29


The Documentary Podcast

Solving Alzheimer's: The Trillion Dollar Disease @ The Documentary Podcast

πŸ“† 2019-01-22 15:00 / βŒ› 00:27:57


The Documentary Podcast

The Assassination - Part Two @ The Documentary Podcast

πŸ“† 2019-01-20 05:00 / βŒ› 00:50:45