Kusatsu Special Prison

Kusatsu Special Prison was a prison that operated between 1938 and 1947, in Kuryu Rakusen-en Sanatorium in Kusatsu Onsen, Kusatsu town, Gunma Prefecture, Japan, where criminals in public leprosariums throughout Japan were imprisoned. Prisons for conventional crimes had been built earlier in all public leprosariums. 22 out of 93 prisoners died of cold or maltreatment in the cells or after confinement. In Japanese, it was called Tokubetsu Byoshitsu (特別病室, Special Ward) or Jyu Kanbo (重監房, Prison for Severe Crimes).
Related history.
In 1909, the first public leprosy policy started in Japan, creating public leprosariums (sanatoriums) which accommodated wandering lepers; some of them criminals. In 1915, the treatment of criminals was discussed by leprosarium directors. In 1916, the leprosy prevention law was amended and this time, decisions of confinement and custody could be made by directors of leprosariums, reduction of meals (this was discontinued in 1947) and 30-day confinement in a leprosarium. Between 1912 and 1951, several riots took place in leprosariums.
The prison.
Kusatsu Special Prison was completed at the end of 1938. There were 8 independent cells; each cell was less than 4.5m in size, with wooden floors with a hole as a latrine. There was a small hole for the distribution of meals. There was no heating system. The cells had tall walls and were physically separate from each other, each cell being a separate building entity. The temperature would often reach -20 °C. Administration, maintenance and repression were roles partaken by male nurses.
Testimony.
Jun Takada, 19 at that time, testified against the prison.