Netherlands to close prisons for lack of criminals:

[giovonni]

:dog:
I see the hound missed this one! :lol3:

Netherlands to close prisons for lack of criminals::mfr_omg:

Published: 19 May 2009 16:31 | Changed: 20 May 2009 15:35

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.

Belgian prisoners

Some reprieve might come from a deal with Belgium, which is facing overpopulation in its prisons. The two countries are working out an agreement to house Belgian prisoners in Dutch prisons. Some five-hundred Belgian prisoners could be transferred to the Tilburg prison by 2010.

The Netherlands would get 30 million euros in the deal, and it will allow the closing of the prisons in Rotterdam and Veenhuizen to be postponed until 2012.

original article from here;
http://www.nrc.nl/international/article2246821.ece/Netherlands_to_close_prisons_for_lack_of_criminals

[orthodoxymoron]

This is good news. In the U.S...if we could get the CIA to stop bringing drugs into the country...and then make the drug problem a medical issue rather than a legal issue...we could probably close half of our jails and prisons...and have a lot less real crime. Unfortunately...drugs and jails are big business. And then there's that damn black budget...which is allegedly funded, in part, by the illegal drug business. If we removed the secrecy...and had legitimate oversight and funding of the 'black projects'...we might have a much safer world as well. Just speculation. The bad-guys are usually the ones who require secrecy. I'm suspecting that 'national security' may really be malevolent alien and sell-out human security...and severly jeapordize real national security. If this is unfair or inaccurate...I'm very sorry. I hope you guys are doing the right thing...but I smell a snake. I hope the snakes aren't in charge. I hate snakes.

[giovonni]

Very keen> observations and insight><orthodoxymoron :thumb_yello:

[246]

I bet crime the crime rate in The Netherlands is low because they dont prosecute people for ridiculous crimes like marijuana and other things that should be legal that are going to happen anyway that dont hurt anyone. Maybe the U.S. should take the lead and legalize Marijuana and empty their prisons. But no, that would jeopardize jobs and the prison state economy...:smoke:

[alyscat]

as well as jeopardizing the liquor industry - particularly when you can grow it yourself.

[Jonathon]

Now THAT's progress!

[Soulmate7]

Being from Belgium, this topic has often been discussed on the news lately. It's not really that there are less criminals in The Netherlands. They use more alternative ways like electronic monitoring or forced labor.

Belgium doesn't have enough prisons, yet this week our minister of foreign affairs made a deal with Clinton about Guantanamo prisoners. They are welcome in Belgium once Guantanamo closes. Typically Belgium.

[Humble Janitor]

as well as jeopardizing the liquor industry - particularly when you can grow it yourself.

I'm not sure how it would jeopardize the liquor industry, especially the beer industry.

Just making weed and hemp legal should empty our prisons. Make more room for TPTB themselves. :naughty:

[Machinamentum]

Oh **** ya you could make weed beer oohh man soo good.

Getting high leads to the munchies and sometimes an icy cold beer. It may stimulate the liquor industry?

I see weed being legalized in America after codex is in place and most food is genitally modified. :lol3: Help speed up the illnesses. Unless you grow your own food. :tongue2: