Ask the Sea Lawyer!

[Griz882]

I saw this morning that the SWO O-3 in Japan lost his appeal and will spend the next three years in a Japanese prison. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/jul/13/navy-officer-ridge-hanneman-alkonis-will-serve-jai/
Totally out of curiosity, what is this guys fate with reference to the Navy? Will he lose all pay and benefits? When he reports to jail, does Navy support for him his family end? Earlier news reports show the Navy supporting his claim of what caused the accident, but now that the other shoe has dropped (no SWO pun intended) I’m curious about the long term impacts.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

I think there’s a MILPERSMAN that deals with this. Let me look that up.

 

[Griz882]

I think there’s a MILPERSMAN that deals with this. Let me look that up.

I would accept a pencil-whipped guess!

 

[Llarry]

Old info (80s?) but I recollect that U.S. military personnel in Japanese prison were fed by the dining facility in Yokosuka -- presumably three times per day.

 

[Griz882]

Old info (80s?) but I recollect that U.S. military personnel in Japanese prison were fed by the dining facility in Yokosuka -- presumably three times per day.

Interesting.

 

[SELRES_AMDO]

What a terrible situation.

 

[Griz882]

Old info (80s?) but I recollect that U.S. military personnel in Japanese prison were fed by the dining facility in Yokosuka -- presumably three times per day.

From what I’ve been able to find this is still the case. The SOFA requires male inmates be held at Yokosuka and they are in fact fed a different diet (much to the protest of the other inmates who get stuff like seaweed soup).

 

[wink]

From what I’ve been able to find this is still the case. The SOFA requires male inmates be held at Yokosuka and they are in fact fed a different diet (much to the protest of the other inmates who get stuff like seaweed soup).

Just what you want in a prison culture, being treated to special privileges and standing out as somehow more entitled than the rest.

 

[villanelle]

From what I’ve been able to find this is still the case. The SOFA requires male inmates be held at Yokosuka and they are in fact fed a different diet (much to the protest of the other inmates who get stuff like seaweed soup).

The "scared straight" video they made us watch before we got our SOFA licenses in Atsugi said something about how families of Japanese inmates supply their food, IIRC. It was in the context of ,"if you fuck up and get sent to Japanese prison, unless you have family in Japan to bring you food, you are even more fucked". Perhaps there is some very, very bare minimum diet fed to those without family, but I recall leaving with the impression that it's normal for families to provide food, so it seems like maybe getting better outside food is a pretty common thing.

 

[Griz882]

The "scared straight" video they made us watch before we got our SOFA licenses in Atsugi said something about how families of Japanese inmates supply their food, IIRC. It was in the context of ,"if you fuck up and get sent to Japanese prison, unless you have family in Japan to bring you food, you are even more fucked". Perhaps there is some very, very bare minimum diet fed to those without family, but I recall leaving with the impression that it's normal for families to provide food, so it seems like maybe getting better outside food is a pretty common thing.

I’ve been to Japan a few times but managed to skip the prison part of the experience!

 

[LawDawg740]

Yikes. As an attorney and former correctional officer in a state supermax, all I can say is: I hope there is someone to put monies on that individual's books

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

I saw this morning that the SWO O-3 in Japan lost his appeal and will spend the next three years in a Japanese prison. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/jul/13/navy-officer-ridge-hanneman-alkonis-will-serve-jai/
Totally out of curiosity, what is this guys fate with reference to the Navy? Will he lose all pay and benefits? When he reports to jail, does Navy support for him his family end? Earlier news reports show the Navy supporting his claim of what caused the accident, but now that the other shoe has dropped (no SWO pun intended) I’m curious about the long term impacts.

Found the MPM:

https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Reference/MILPERSMAN/1000/1900Separation/1910-144.pdf?ver=K4gO1MFDxaftQceffgLjsg%3D%3D

 

[Griz882]

Found the MPM:

https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Reference/MILPERSMAN/1000/1900Separation/1910-144.pdf?ver=K4gO1MFDxaftQceffgLjsg%3D%3D

Excellent information…I am fascinated by the bolded part of the instruction:

“Members confined in foreign jails may be processed for separation, but may not be discharged or separated from Service
until completion of imprisonment and return to the United States. “

Separated but not discharged is new to me.

 

[Hair Warrior]

Excellent information…I am fascinated by the bolded part of the instruction:

“Members confined in foreign jails may be processed for separation, but may not be discharged or separated from Service
until completion of imprisonment and return to the United States. “

Separated but not discharged is new to me.

Maybe so they’d remain covered by SOFA but DoD wouldn’t have to pay them?

 

[Griz882]

Maybe so they’d remain covered by SOFA but DoD wouldn’t have to pay them?

Probably spot on.