Dutch Prisons Face Closure Due to Low Crime Rates
The Netherlands faces a unique issue with near-empty prisons due to low crime rates. The government has closed 23 prisons, repurposing some as asylum centers and luxury hotels. As a result, the prison population has significantly decreased, a rare occurrence in the Western world.
The Netherlands is experiencing a unique issue: near-empty prisons due to low crime rates.
Over the past few years, the Dutch government has closed 23 prisons, converting some into asylum reception centers and others into luxury hotels.
According to the WODC Research and Documentation Centre, the incarceration rate has dropped to 54.4 per 100,000 inhabitants.
This reduction in crime has resulted in a significant decrease in the prison population, down from 42,000 prison sentences in 2008 to 31,000 in 2018.
High-profile empty prisons have been turned into creative spaces, such as a luxury hotel with suites named The Lawyer, The Judge, The Governor, and The Jailer.
The nation's approach reflects a significant change in the Western world, as noted by Miranda Boone, a criminology professor at Leiden University.
Over the past few years, the Dutch government has closed 23 prisons, converting some into asylum reception centers and others into luxury hotels.
According to the WODC Research and Documentation Centre, the incarceration rate has dropped to 54.4 per 100,000 inhabitants.
This reduction in crime has resulted in a significant decrease in the prison population, down from 42,000 prison sentences in 2008 to 31,000 in 2018.
High-profile empty prisons have been turned into creative spaces, such as a luxury hotel with suites named The Lawyer, The Judge, The Governor, and The Jailer.
The nation's approach reflects a significant change in the Western world, as noted by Miranda Boone, a criminology professor at Leiden University.
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