In an article headed “Netherlands to close prisons for lack of criminals”, a leading Dutch newspaper reports:
“The Dutch justice ministry has announced it will close eight prisons and cut 1,200 jobs in the prison system. A decline in crime has left many cells empty. During the 1990s the Netherlands faced a shortage of prison cells, but a decline in crime has since led to overcapacity in the prison system. The country now has capacity for 14,000 prisoners but only 12,000 detainees. Deputy justice minister Nebahat Albayrak announced on Tuesday that eight prisons will be closed. The overcapacity is a result of the declining crime rate, which the ministry’s research department expects to continue for some time.”
WATCHDOG: The Dutch allow the sale of marijuana in what are euphemistically called “coffee houses.” The result is that the ‘forbidden fruit’ attraction for youth is dissipated. They also place greater emphasis on treatment rather than incarceration for those addicted to hard drugs. Two wags of the tail!
