Five Dutch prisons are slated to be shut down in the summer, according to documents obtained from Telegraaf. Justice Minister Ard van der Steur announced to the parliament that the shutdown of the prison will also help save budget used to fund the sparsely-filled prison.
In 2013, nineteen prisons were closed in the Netherlands as there was no criminal to fill them, while the new five closures will result in 2000 people without jobs, 700 of the 2000 will be given roles within the Dutch law enforcement.
The country because of its less criminals behind bars asked Norway to send 240 prisoners last September to keep the prison a little active.
The less criminal in prison in the Netherlands is due to the relaxed drug laws, the country rehabilitation plan over punishment, ankle monitoring system, and also allowing criminals to join the workforce after they had been freed.
The Netherlands has a population of 17million people and only 11,600 people are locked up, that's a rate of 69 incarcerations per 100,000 people. The US has 716 per 100,000 — the highest in the world.
The problem with the USA is attributed to its lack of attention to social services and rehabilitation program once prisoners finish their sentences.