The new policy vision describes, among other things, the role of volunteers, how the quality, training, and resilience of volunteers are secured, and how collaboration takes place. In 2019, the motion by Drost and Van der Staaij was adopted, requesting further development on how volunteer organizations can be more intensively involved in the implementation of the Detention & Reintegration (D&R) plan for detainees and how the capacity of volunteer organizations can be strengthened in guiding after the end of the detention period.

The new policy vision also addressed the request from volunteer organizations to provide clarity on the visiting arrangements for volunteers in judicial institutions and the spaces where these visits can take place. The (old) NJO regulation has automatically lapsed. This means that access is now organized in a new way, namely through the Implementation Framework VOG Admission Policy for chain partners and volunteers. For more information, see the page Volunteers.

The new vision was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and Security and various volunteer organizations that are active within the institutions. The policy vision can be found on the website of the House of Representatives.

Subsidy Scheme
The subsidy scheme for volunteer organizations has undergone development in recent years. There is now a distribution key that is fairer and more feasible. An important change is that each volunteer counts once for the subsidy distribution. This means that the subsidy amount for volunteers reported by multiple organizations in the subsidy application is distributed proportionally among these organizations. Additionally, the VOG or Reference of volunteers may now be a maximum of four years old at the time of application.

The new subsidy scheme was published in the Official Gazette on March 18, 2025. This scheme applies from January 1, 2026.

Role of Volunteers
Volunteers make an important contribution to the well-being of detainees by providing help and support. The involvement of volunteers also helps bridge the gap between a closed stay and free society. The Judicial Institutions Service (DJI) collaborates with various volunteer organizations to enable the involvement of volunteers.

The volunteers of DJI work both inside and outside the walls. They assist detainees but can also support the remaining social network such as parents, partners, and children. Additionally, the vision and subsidy scheme also apply to volunteer work during the first period after closed stay.