INFO:

(6 Mar 1996) Japanese/Nat Three American soldiers face sentencing Thursday for the rape of a 12 year old Japanese schoolgirl. If they are sent to jail they could face a lengthy stay behind bars - but they won't be the only U-S servicemen in their prison. APTV visited the jail where they may serve their time. A simple sign on a small road an hour from Tokyo points the way to one of the most secure prisons in Asia. The Yokosuka prison has had only one escape in its history. The prison's record is not so much a tribute to its security system, as it is a reflection of the prisoners housed here. For Yokosuka prison hosts what is probably the largest community of jailed American soldiers anywhere outside the United States. And these inmates' best chance of returning home some day is simply biding their time so that when their sentence finishes they can be deported back to the U-S. There are Japanese prisoners as well, usually not in for serious crimes, and housed in a separate wing of the jail. The cells the U-S prisoners occupy are a smallish 9 square yards (metres), although good behaviour can earn one a bigger 13.4 square yard (metre) room. The guards generally speak some English and thousands of English language books are available. Television time can also be earned. Prison officials say that such cultural accommodations help avoid problems with foreign inmates. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese)