Miranda Boone on Netherlands Prison Crisis and Cell Shortage

The Netherlands faces a simultaneous shortage of available prison cells and operational staff, which has driven an increase in safety incidents and extended sick leave within correctional facilities.

The Dual Shortage of Cells and Staff

Corrections facilities are grappling with a dual capacity and staffing crisis that worsens daily operations. Van den Berg explained that part of the cell shortage stems from ongoing renovations that have taken various units offline. Boone pointed to political decisions made in 2013, when the government closed several prisons to cut costs during a period of excess cell capacity.

The situation reversed after 2016, when investigative and prosecutorial policies pivoted to focus on heavier offenses. Boone noted that this shift led to stiffer sentences, causing inmates to serve longer terms and occupy spaces for extended periods. Van den Berg confirmed that the target group has become increasingly complex while serving longer sentences, creating mutual reinforcement between security risks and staffing pressures.

“Als er te weinig personeel is, gebeuren er meer veiligheidsincidenten. Dat leidt weer tot een hoog aandeel ziekmeldingen, terwijl dat gemiddeld al hoger is dan in andere werksituaties.”

Miranda Boone

The Chain Reaction Across the Justice System

Boone emphasized that the capacity crisis cannot be solved by the prison system alone, as penal institutions merely represent the final link in a criminal justice chain established in the Netherlands in 1985. That chain begins with police investigation, moves to prosecution by the Public Prosecution Service and the judiciary, and ends at the prison gates. Boone stated that when pressure mounts, officials frequently look exclusively to the final link for a remedy, ignoring the upstream policy decisions that feed more individuals into the system.

“Als je zwaardere zaken gaat vervolgen – maar niet zorgt voor extra cellen om die straffen uit te zitten – dan gaat het natuurlijk mis”

Miranda Boone

Van den Berg added that while the DJI maximizes its operational capacity and strives to ease pressure on personnel, it shares responsibility with the House of Representatives. Funding to resolve the cell shortage remains unsecured, and Van den Berg characterized the Prison System Action Plan submitted to the House of Representatives before the summer as an essential initial step rather than a permanent fix.

Rejection of Foreign Inmate Housing

Placing Dutch inmates in foreign prisons to alleviate domestic crowding is not a viable structural fix, according to Van den Berg. Detainees must serve sentences strictly within the Dutch system and under domestic legislation. While international cooperation occurs in specific narrow situations, Van den Berg stressed that it differs entirely from systematically outsourcing prisoners due to domestic shortages. Boone additionally cautioned that doubling up prisoners in shared cells introduces separate institutional hazards.