Authorities in the Netherlands are closing down a number of prisons as there are not enough criminals to fill them.
About one-third of the 13,500 prison cells are unoccupied, leading officials to begin to close five prisons in the country.
The Dutch ministry of justice released figures which indicate crime will continue to decrease by nearly 1% a year over the coming five years. Data from the Dutch statistics office show there has been a drop in crime victim rates over the last 10 years.
“More than a third of cells are not used, and the predictions are that it is going to get worse,” said Jaap Oosterveer, a ministry spokesman. “Obviously, from a social perspective, it is better because crime is down, but if you work in jails, it is not good news.”
The closures are likely to put more than 2,000 jobs at risk.
The Dutch had already taken steps to fill its prisons by “leasing” spots for prisoners from Belgium and Norway. There are around 300 Belgian criminals serving time in the Netherlands and a recent deal with Norway provides for 240 Norwegian convicts.
But, Mr Oosterveer said, this has not solved the “structural problem” of falling crime and extensive prison accommodation, so some prisons will be shut.
One notorious prison has already been converted into a luxury hotel.
The fall is prisoner numbers is due to a sharp decline in violent offences as well as an ageing population who are less likely to commit crime.
The authorities have also shifted greater focus onto rehabilitation which has resulted in shorter sentences, more electronic tagging, and time fostering job skills.
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