Imagine living in a place where prisons are closed...

[one_voice]

because there aren't enough criminals...

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.

**snip**

http://vorige.nrc.nl/international/article2246821.ece/Netherlands_to_close_prisons_for_lack_of_criminals

[Duer 157099]

1. Not only that, but what happens to those 1,200 newly unemployed?

Think they'll have to resort to crime to feed their families? I doubt it.

[one_voice]

2. No, I don't think so...

I'd have to look it up, but I think that's one of the countries where the unemployment is like 95% of what you made and they help you find a job. Most people aren't out of work very long.

One of the main complaints you hear about socialism is the high tax rate. In those countries, you get health care, day care, decent vacation, education through college, and a decent retirement.

Here we pay our taxes, add in the property tax, the school tax and all the other 'little' taxes and our % of taxes exceeds theirs. What exactly do we get for our taxes?

Something to think about.

[Cleita]

3. They mentioned redundancy which I believe means that

they just won't hire anyone new. Instead, the normal attrition of people quitting, retiring or maybe having other reasons to leave a job will be filled by workers from the closed prisons instead. Also, as mentioned above, they have a decent unemployment benefits system in case any of them might have to wait in line for an opening.

[limpyhobbler]

4. must be nice.

Think any major politician in the US could ever say "I think we could learn a few things from the Netherlands" ? Not too often probably.

[JDPriestly]

5. Their drug laws are less strict as I understand it.

I wonder how many prisons we could close if we handled drugs and especially addiction as the Dutch do. I don't know exactly what they do, but I believe that have different drug laws than we do.

[RZM]

6. Drug law reform is way, way overdue

But I don't think it would have a significant impact on incarceration rates. It would have a small impact. Probably in the 5 percent range, but the bulk of our problem would still be there. The problem isn't drugs, it's drug culture. Drug culture will still exist even if drugs were legal.

[spanone]

7. we've privatized prisons so crime pays bigtime

[Cleita]

8. Bingo.

This new economic bonanza on tax payers money won't go away easily. Too many profits to be made. Honestly, the way this country is devolving into Hellish nightmare makes me cry.