All right Pieter. What's going on over there.

[justjohn]

NRC Handelsblad...


Netherlands to close prisons for lack of criminals

Published: 19 May 2009 16:31 | Changed: 20 May 2009 15:35
By our news desk

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, resulting in the loss of 1,200 jobs. Natural redundancy and other measures should prevent any forced lay-offs, the minister said.

The overcapacity is a result of the declining crime rate, which the ministry's research department expects to continue for some time.

Belgian prisoners

Some reprieve might come from a deal with Belgium, which is facing overpopulation in its prisons. The two countries are working out an agreement to house Belgian prisoners in Dutch prisons. Some five-hundred Belgian prisoners could be transferred to the Tilburg prison by 2010.

The Netherlands would get 30 million euros in the deal, and it will allow the closing of the prisons in Rotterdam and Veenhuizen to be postponed until 2012.

[pieter]

skeeterj,

I read it too and saw something on tv. A few years back there was a rise of crime
and violence in the Nehterlands. But because the government hired more police
officers, a reform of the legal system and tougher laws the crime rate lowered.

I think it might be a temporary development, because due to the crisis the
unemployment will rise and crime probably too.

I am against the closure of the eight prisons, and think that if there are to less
prisoners we could make European deals and put some foreign guests in our
cells. For instance next to Belgian prisoners also German, French or British
prisoners if there is a shortage of cells or prisons in those countries, or
even Polish ones if Poland has to less prisons.

We live in the United Europe after all.

Pieter

[freetobe]

Pieter,
The U.S. would probably be most happy to to have the Netherlands accept a number of "guests" from Gitmo into your presently unoccupied prison cells Would provide stimulus packages to keep prisons afloat during the Gitmo prisoner incarcerations. Send Obama an e mail. He wants to hear from all who can help.