Why are The Netherlands prisons closing?

In 2013, 19 prisons in the Netherlands closed because the country didn't have enough criminals to fill them. Now, five more are slated to close their doors by the end of the summer, according to internal documents obtained by The Telegraaf. read more

In 2013, 19 prisons in the Netherlands closed because the country didn't have enough criminals to fill them. Now, five more are slated to close their doors by the end of the summer, according to internal documents obtained by The Telegraaf. read more

The Netherlands will close five of its prisons over the next few years because the cost of maintaining them is too high. The reason why the prisons aren't cost-efficient, however, is something of a national blessing: thanks to the country's steadily declining crime rate, thousands of prison cells are going unused. read more

Since a third of its 13,500 prison cells are unfilled, this means five prisons will definitely close, and the prison workers' union, FNV, fears 1,900 jail workers will lose their jobs, while 700 could become “mobile” employees based in more than one location. read more