It has become clear that, among the people released from prison and other correctional facilities, thereis a large number of people with mental handicaps who have need of welfare services after release, yet areunable to get the support that they need.Among these people there are many who, because of difficulty in returning to life in society, commitanother crime and are returned to prison. Inmates with mental handicaps especially, because of the natureof their handicap, need welfare support to be able to live in the community. In 2010 the Japanese Ministryof Justice and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, in order to promote the successful return to societyof people released from correctional facilities, established support centers across the country and providedthem with financial assistance.Tochigi Prefecture has entrusted a nonprofit organization concerned mainly with facilities for the mentallyhandicapped to promote ways to help people to successfully live in the community. This paper looksinto the current situation regarding efforts to help mentally handicapped people caught between the justicesystem and the welfare system to return to life in society, and considers issues still to be addressed.