本文旨在說明日本從明治中期更生保護（舊稱免囚保護、司法保護）制度誕生至二戰結束前，保護事業的發展歷程。當時官方密集辦理大規模恩赦，迫使民間更生保護事業 迅速擴張，以承接大量出獄者。日本戰前基於君民一體思想，天皇是民族精神的象徵，辦理恩赦除能展示天皇的道義形象，也可讓民眾透過參與隨之而來的更生保護工作一同為皇室慶弔，感受到與天皇的連結。官方本有意藉恩赦減省監獄開支，而大正時期的社會氛圍恰好利於推動更生保護工作，民間事業成效良好，又再度加深官方倚恃民間力量的信念，形成正向循環。在組織與法制化方面，官方從大正初期開始扶植設立全國更生保護事業的中心組織（從「中央保護會」到後來的「財團法人輔成會」、「司法保護協會」）， 並透過發放獎勵金等方式進行實質督導。「司法保護事業法」於二戰初期制定施行，為戰後日本以官方的「保護觀察制度」為中心、官員指導民間「志工」執行間接保護為主要工作方式、民間「事業體」提供輔佐的更生保護制度架構奠定了基礎。臺灣的民間保護事業，於日本殖民統治時期曾同步興旺，但戰後便無以為繼。今日需重新探尋本土原生的社會動力，並儘量擴充更生保護事業的內涵與邊界，以利社區資源及其他部門共同分擔。

關鍵詞：更生保護、更生保護事業、日本更生保護制度、戰前史、觀護

　　This article aims to explain the development of Japan’s rehabilitation services from the inception of the offender rehabilitation (formerly known as ex-prisoner rehabilitation or judicial rehabilitation) system in the mid-Meiji era to the end of World War II. During this period, the government frequently granted large-scale amnesties, forcing the rapid expansion of private rehabilitation services to accommodate the large number of released prisoners. Prewar Japan was based on the idea of the unity of the emperor and the people, with the emperor as the symbol of the national spirit. Granting amnesties not only demonstrated the emperor’s moral integrity but also allowed the public to participate in the subsequent rehabilitation work, celebrating and mourning the imperial family and feeling a sense of connection with the emperor. The government intended to use amnesties to reduce prison expenses, but the social atmosphere of the Taisho era was conducive to promoting rehabilitation programs.
　　The successful private sector initiatives further strengthened the government’s reliance on the power of the private sector, creating a positive cycle. In terms of organization and legalization, the government, starting in the early Taisho era, supported the establishment of a national central organization for rehabilitation services (first the Central Protection Association and later the Fuseikai Foundation and the Judicial Rehabilitation Association), and provided practical oversight through incentives and other means. The Judicial Rehabilitation Service Act, enacted in the early days of World War II, laid the foundation for Japan's postwar offender rehabilitation system, which is centered on the official “Protection Observation System,” with officials guiding civilian “volunteers” to provide indirect protection as the primary method, and with private “institutions” providing support. Taiwan’s private rehabilitation services flourished during the Japanese colonial period but became unsustainable after the war. Today, we need to rediscover the inherent social dynamics of our own country and expand the scope and border of after-care service to facilitate the sharing of community resources and other sectors.

Keywords: After-Care, Offender Rehabilitation Services, Japanese Offender Rehabilitation System, Prewar History, Probation