The Netherlands: a Land without Prisons

Soaring crime rates and law-and-order backlash are hardly unique to the United States, but not all countries have taken the 'lock-'em-up-and-throw-away-the-key' approach. Many nations, in fact, have largely shelved the punitive psychology in dealing with criminals – and none more forthrightly than Holland. The Dutch have adopted an innovative and remarkably humane system of dealing with law breakers, with the result that the Netherlands is close to becoming a land without prisons. And the policy is apparently paying dividends: crime is certainly climbing much more slowly there than in all other countries.

The Dutch hold the view that harsh treatment and get-tough attitudes only aggravate the problems that lead a person to crime. "A prison sentence does little to 'resocialise a person', says vice-president of the Hague Court. "It more likely leads to rancour and bitterness. A mild sentence, possibly even just a fine, shows an offender that society cares about him." Because of this benevolent concept fewer and fewer people are serving time in Holland.

Whenever possible, the Dutch prefer to fine law breakers rather than clap them in jail. But even for those imprisoned, every effort is made to provide an environment that win rehabilitate the convicts. While, as one official put it, "Dutch prisons are not Hilton Hotels," neither are they ugly fortresses full of cellblocks and harassment. Several prisons in Holland are country villas with only a handful of prisoners. In many institutions prisoners are allowed to wear their own clothes and keep personal possessions; they are given comfortably furnished rooms with such homey items as curtains, and they often are allowed to work outside the prison or leave from time to time to visit their families.

Moreover, Holland has an extraordinary one-to-one ratio between prisoner staff members and inmates. "Our objective," says the Deputy Prison Director, " is not to make life pleasant for prisoners, but to normalise it as much as possible to prepare the prisoners for a return to society."

Dutch officials maintain that their philosophy of short prison sentences and humanitarian treatment is essential if convicts are not to become repeaters. "A heavy sentence," they say, "keeps a person out of possible mischief longer, but it merely postpones and aggravates the problem of recidivism."

Given that kind of success, it is not surprising that Holland's liberal penal philosophy has won applause (From…..).

Ex. 11. Explain the meaning of the following world and wxpressions from the text above:

• soaring crime rates

• law-and-order backlash

• ‘lock-‘em-up-and-throw-away-the-key’ approach

• to shelve the punitive psychology

• get-tough attitudes

• to resocialise a person

• behevolent concept

• homey items

• to become repeaters