Japanese seniors turn to life of crime

‘Silver shoplifters’: Facing cuts in welfare and pensions, Japan’s swelling ranks of the elderly are turning to crime—many of them stealing food. Shoplifters are now more likely to be over 65 than under 18. Criminal offenses by the over-65 set have doubled in the past decade, even as overall crime has dropped. “Senior citizens shoplift lunch boxes and bread out of poverty, and they also steal because they are lonely and isolated,” said Justice Ministry official Yusuke Ishikawa. Prisons have been forced to add hand-— rails and ramps to accommodate elderly inmates.