On 11 September it was reported that a man in his 80s was released on parole from Kumamoto Prison after serving a life sentence of 61 years.

His identity and the nature of his crime were not reported, likely to aid his reentry into society, but his release marks the end of the longest imprisonment on record in the country.

After having been locked up since 1959, the inmate was able to demonstrate a willingness to reform and no risk of re-offending. He also had to secure a place to stay upon his release for the parole to be granted.

Life sentences in Japan, where they’re known as “indefinite prison sentences,” have been gradually becoming longer in Japan in step with its overall aging society. Since 2009, the average period of life sentences in Japan has surpassed 30 years and continues to rise.

This presents the mounting challenge of introducing aged convicts back into society. “Some of the elderly lifers are model prisoners,” one prison official told NHK, “but finding a host facility for these parolees is a major challenge.”

It’s a serious problem that requires the teamwork of governments, prisons, and local community groups to tackle. However, while this unique story helps to bring light to the issue, many comments were understandably caught up wondering what it must be like re-emerging to society after such a long time.