The Netherlands is dealing with a serious shortage of prison staff, leading officials to consider sending prisoners to other countries.
According to reports by NOS, Ingrid Kunradi, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Security, is exploring this option to help manage the problem.
Kunradi explained to the House of Representatives that the lack of staff in prisons is causing more and more convicts to wait outside of prison for their sentences.
This includes some people convicted of serious crimes, such as fatal traffic accidents and sexual offenses, who have not yet spent any time in prison.
To reduce the pressure on the prison system, Kunradi is looking into the possibility of relocating certain groups of prisoners to serve their sentences abroad.
This could help ensure that all convicts serve their sentences without further delays.
Her predecessor had already tried different strategies, like focusing on imprisoning those guilty of serious crimes first and allowing some offenders to serve their sentences at home with electronic monitoring devices.
Despite these efforts, the situation has not improved enough, which is why the idea of sending prisoners abroad is being considered.
Over the past 20 years, the Netherlands has seen a big drop in the number of prisoners, leading to the closure of many prisons.
Some of these former prisons have been turned into entertainment centers, hotels, and cinemas. In some cases, prison cells were rented out to hold inmates from Belgium and Norway.
