To structurally create more space in prisons, the Council of Ministers has approved the following new measures proposed by Secretary of State Coenradie:
- Where possible, more inmates will be placed together in a cell with another inmate, provided this can be done responsibly and safely for the staff of DJI. This effort will create over 100 extra spots this year.
- It is being explored whether a temporary prison can also be opened next year in the PI South-East (location Ter Peel). This should provide 60 extra spots. These will be temporary spots with a lower security level.
- Furthermore, DJI is investigating whether former Youth Care Plus institutions can be transformed into youth prisons. This could eventually allow the young adults currently in the prison system to be moved to a JJI. The departments in PI Zeist and PI Almelo could then be used again for adults and are also suitable as locations for multi-person cells.
- In the longer term, it is being explored whether the PI Almere can be reopened, and the construction of the Judicial Complex in Vlissingen has been completed.
- Additionally, DJI continues to work hard to reduce the staff shortage. In April, a department will be reopened with about 30 spots in PI Nieuwegein. This department was previously closed due to staff shortages.
Despite these significant efforts and new measures, the pressure on the prison system remains too high in the short term. To alleviate the pressure and prevent arbitrary releases, DJI is given the space to – if truly necessary – send inmates with a sentence of up to one year, excluding sex offenders and perpetrators of serious violent crimes, up to 14 days earlier. This is always done with customization and as a last resort.
Secretary of State Coenradie: “I am glad that we are creating more capacity as quickly as possible with multi-person cells. Despite this enormous effort, I still find myself with my back against the wall and have to make very painful choices. But without this intervention, police cells remain overcrowded, and suspects and convicts risk being released arbitrarily. I cannot and do not want to accept that scenario. At the same time, I am working hard with DJI to find sustainable solutions, but I cannot just open a can of cells and staff.”
Secretary of State Coenradie stated in a letter to Parliament last December that there is a code black situation in the prison system and that earlier releases were a realistic option. Specifically, code black means an occupancy rate above 99.5% at the Custodial Institutions Agency (DJI) and that there are structurally detainees left behind in police stations. Additionally, there is an increasing stock of detainees and self-reporters who still need to serve their sentences. Initially, this capacity problem was mainly due to a lack of staff; now it is primarily a shortage of cells. This is due to increasing occupancy as a result of longer detentions and an increase in TBS passers and young adults in the prison system. The shortage is further exacerbated by planned necessary renovations.