YYesterday, I went to the cinema at the Dome Prison in Harlem. The monumental building – a vast, panopticon-style facility that first opened in 1901 – is one of more than 20 Dutch prisons to have closed in the past decade. Some of them have ended up serving remarkably interesting purposes like this cultural center.
The Dutch have seen their prison population drop by more than 40% over the past 20 years. At the other end of the spectrum, Britain has the highest incarceration rate in Western Europe and is struggling with an unprecedented prison crisis. James Timpson, Britain's prisons minister, calls the Netherlands a source of inspiration.
What can the Dutch system teach the rest of the world? First, the declining prison population is not really the result of recent policies by visionary politicians. Much of that is due to changes in crime patterns and the nature of crime. As in many Western countries, the number of violent crimes has decreased significantly in the Netherlands in recent decades.
Dutch criminologist Francis Backes, a professor at the University of Portsmouth who has studied the reasons for emptying Dutch prisons, told me: “Routine, violent crime is low. murder On the other hand, many conventional crimes go online and are less visible. And it is very possible that there is a form of organized crime. But serious cases that come to the police and courts are few. As a result, fewer people are incarcerated.
But while the Dutch do not have a model policy that the world can copy, the overall Dutch attitude towards incarceration may be instructive. According to Baeks, the Dutch are well aware that being in prison can do more harm than good. Society may be freed from a criminal for a short period of time, but in many cases, criminals resume their activities when they leave prison. Due to the violent prison environment they have to survive, they can become ruthless. They may have a vast criminal network built behind bars.
This also applies to short sentences. Even these can turn a criminal's life completely upside down. You may lose your job, home and social network. And you rarely become a better person in a short time in prison.
Because of the atrocities committed during the Nazi occupation in World War II, the Netherlands has a culture of not imposing long prison sentences. In Britain and America, the culture is different: many British and American politicians advocate severe punishments to show themselves as strong leaders. However, more politicians in the Netherlands – mostly on the right – are now doing this.
It is not uncommon for British judges to impose relatively long sentences on the Dutch for minor crimes. Dutch judges are more inclined to give a suspended sentence in cases of community service or similar cases. Research shows that this is not only cheaper but also reduces the likelihood of re-offending. Even in cases where prison terms are awarded, the length of sentences for minor offenses such as theft has decreased significantly over the past decade, although the length of sentences for violent and sexual offenses has increased.
This attitude of Dutch judges is not the reason for the recent decrease in prison population. But the Netherlands has consistently lower rates of incarceration than places like England and Wales, and particularly the US. Long sentences put enormous pressure on the prison system. And given the staggering costs to society, spending this money on prevention could pay for some wonderful things.
However, the Netherlands has at least one hopeful message for other countries: it is not a given that prison populations will always increase. Also, it is not true that society is less safe because there are fewer people in prison. Despite the emptying of prisons, the Dutch can safely walk the streets at night, especially compared to Britain, where crime rates and concerns about crime are high.
Besides the Netherlands, Timpson can also consider Norway's remarkable prison system. Its prisons are mostly small and focus on reintegration. They are designed so that everyday life can continue as normal as possible.
As a result, prisoners are less likely to withdraw from society. It's easier for them to integrate than someone coming from an overcrowded British prison where they're locked up 22 hours a day because the staff can't manage otherwise. In such cases, the transition to the outside world is very sudden. You may see someone reoffend within the first few days of release.
You can argue whether a system from a sparsely populated country like Norway is better suited to Britain or other large countries. But it is clear that the British system has reached its limits and the new approach is no luxury. James Timpson is ready. We in the Netherlands will be interested to see what plans he will come up with.
