The rising level of loneliness among Japan's ageing population is pushing some elderly women to view life in prison as a better alternative to freedom.
At Tochigi Women's Prison, the largest women's correctional facility in Japan, inmates aged 65 and above make up a significant proportion of the population.
According to Takayoshi Shiranaga, one of the prison officials who spoke with CNN, some of the women prefer the companionship and stability offered within the prison walls as opposed to the loneliness outside the prison.
"There are even people who say they will pay 20,000 or 30,000 yen ($130-190) a month (if they can) live here forever," he said.
Inside the pastel-pink prison, elderly inmates receive regular meals, free healthcare, and eldercare services, along with the companionship they lack on the outside.
Many of these women have been imprisoned for theft, often driven by poverty. Government data shows that more than 80 per cent of elderly female inmates nationwide were jailed for shoplifting in 2022.
One of the inmates, Akiyo (not her real name), is an 81-year-old serving her second sentence for stealing food. "There are very good people in this prison. Perhaps this life is the most stable for me," she said.
Akiyo, who previously lived on a small pension that could not sustain her, said she felt hopeless before her arrest. "If I had been financially stable and had a comfortable lifestyle, I definitely wouldn't have done it," she said. She added that her financial struggles and isolation had left her feeling like there was no reason to live.
Prison officials also highlighted the dire circumstances many elderly inmates face outside. "There are people who come here because it's cold, or because they're hungry," said Shiranaga, adding that some inmates deliberately reoffend to access free medical care and basic necessities provided in prison.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 20% of people aged 65 and above in Japan live in poverty, significantly higher than the 14.2% average across its 38 member countries.
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