The mainpurpose of this article is to analize dynamic human relations in the correctional institutions and to establish scientific techniques for correctional treatment through integrating traditional and newly introduced techniques. The author’s own experiences accumulated at the prison, the training school for juvenile delinquents and juvenile detention and classification home as well as the records of many predecessors’ achievements were utilized for the study.

(I) Therapeutic approach in the correctional institution.

This section is concerned with tracing back the history of therapeutic approaches exterimented in correctional institutions and understanding how the newly introduced techniques from Europe and America were applied in our correctional institutions. The role and the training of therapists in correctional institutions and team approach in treatment were discussed reffering to the two books authored by Dr. T. Hemmi who had been engaged in this problem enthusiastically.

The therapeutic approach was driven foward mainly through therapists’ close and continuous contact with officers and inmates rather than leadership of administrators. The essential condition for therapeutic activities is mutual trust between officers and inmates and we-feeling among staff members. True meaning of confinement and the relationship between individual and group psychotherapy were also recorsidered.

(Ⅱ) Therapeutic activities experimented at Nakano Prison.

The history of therapeutic activities at Nakano Prison, one of the institutions which have the most systematic treatment programs, was characterized by dividing it into 4 phases.

(1) establishment of reception center and preparation for treatment center (1957-1959), (2) therapeutic activities by counseling committee and treatment unit (1959-1962), (3) practice and study of group counseling (1962-1965), (4) treatment programs for maladjusted inmates and traffic offenders (1965- ). Many practical problems concerning these phases will be discussed in the articles to be continued.