Buffalo Soldier
Dreadlock Rasta
Netherlands closing prisons for ‘lack of criminals’
Sometimes the severity you sense depends on what you think the problem is.
Take the Netherlands for example. They are closing prisons.
You'll never guess why.
They don't have enough criminals to fill them.
At least that's the story of Justice State Secretary Nebahat Albayrak.
"Currently, there is detention capacity of some 14,000 cell places, while according to the estimates there is a need for about 12,000 cells. This overcapacity is expected to continue for some years," she said while almost certainly clogging about in wooden shoes. "The cell surplus is caused by falling crime in general and more serious crime in particular."
Thus, the ruling parties have developed a plan to remove 2,000 of the country's 14,000 prison cells. That's a plan that the more conservative minded Dutch legislators call crazy. They even say that violent crime is increasing in the land where the legend of Santa Claus was born.
That depends on what you call crime.
The Dutch don't criminalize euthanasia, many illicit drugs, or even prostitution.
They are known for their windmills, gouda cheese, tulips and tolerance.
If nothing is illegal, then you'll obviously have fewer prisoners. Not only do they have a liberal mind when it comes to crime, they also take a soft view on punishment.
Many people who are convicted of crimes spend no time in jails - helping to keep the cells empty.
They slap an ankle band on them and assign them to community service.
The argument has detractors on both ends of the political spectrum which leads me to believe they might be doing the right thing.
The far right believe they are weak on crime. The far left don't want to close the prisons because people could lose their government jobs.
Don't let the Dutch convince you that all of Europe is leaning toward leniency. Belgium is already making plans to send 500 of their prisoners to help fill those vacant cells.
It's an interesting argument. Are Dutch people becoming more civil or is their society becoming more tolerant of incivility?
Sometimes the severity you sense depends on what you think the problem is.
Take the Netherlands for example. They are closing prisons.
You'll never guess why.
They don't have enough criminals to fill them.
At least that's the story of Justice State Secretary Nebahat Albayrak.
"Currently, there is detention capacity of some 14,000 cell places, while according to the estimates there is a need for about 12,000 cells. This overcapacity is expected to continue for some years," she said while almost certainly clogging about in wooden shoes. "The cell surplus is caused by falling crime in general and more serious crime in particular."
Thus, the ruling parties have developed a plan to remove 2,000 of the country's 14,000 prison cells. That's a plan that the more conservative minded Dutch legislators call crazy. They even say that violent crime is increasing in the land where the legend of Santa Claus was born.
That depends on what you call crime.
The Dutch don't criminalize euthanasia, many illicit drugs, or even prostitution.
They are known for their windmills, gouda cheese, tulips and tolerance.
If nothing is illegal, then you'll obviously have fewer prisoners. Not only do they have a liberal mind when it comes to crime, they also take a soft view on punishment.
Many people who are convicted of crimes spend no time in jails - helping to keep the cells empty.
They slap an ankle band on them and assign them to community service.
The argument has detractors on both ends of the political spectrum which leads me to believe they might be doing the right thing.
The far right believe they are weak on crime. The far left don't want to close the prisons because people could lose their government jobs.
Don't let the Dutch convince you that all of Europe is leaning toward leniency. Belgium is already making plans to send 500 of their prisoners to help fill those vacant cells.
It's an interesting argument. Are Dutch people becoming more civil or is their society becoming more tolerant of incivility?
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