Kusatsu Special Prison

Kusatsu Special Prison was a prison that operated between 1938 and 1947 in Kusatsu Onsen, Kusatsu town, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. It was located in the Kuryu Rakusen-en Sanatorium and served as a prison for criminals in public leprosariums throughout Japan. The prison was known as Tokubetsu Byoshitsu (Special Ward) or Jyu Kanbo (Prison for Severe Crimes) in Japanese.

The establishment of public leprosariums in Japan began in 1909, accommodating wandering lepers, some of whom were criminals. In 1915, the treatment of criminals within leprosariums was discussed, and in 1916, the leprosy prevention law was amended to allow directors of leprosariums to make decisions regarding confinement and custody of criminals. The prison was completed in 1938 and consisted of 8 independent cells, each less than 4.5m in size. The cells had wooden floors with a hole as a latrine and no heating system. Male nurses were responsible for administration, maintenance, and repression.

During its operation, 14 prisoners died in the prison, while 8 died after confinement. There were 71 survivors, making a total of 93 prisoners. The deaths occurred mostly during the colder months, with 18 deaths between November and March. The average length of confinement was 156 days for deaths within the cells, 239 days for deaths after confinement, and 114 days for survivors.

In March 1947, an American colonel physician named Paul Rush visited the sanatorium and heard complaints from the patients. The patients subsequently sent a complaint letter, but the response to their concerns is unknown.