advertentieFrom July 15, 2025, DJI will start implementing the end leave measure for detainees. End leave is a form of leave at the end of detention, allowing someone to leave the prison earlier. This is being implemented due to a shortage of cells in prisons.
Secretary of State Struycken approved this measure last week, as laid down in the Rtvi (Regulation for temporarily leaving the institution). Last year, various measures were taken to alleviate the pressure on cell capacity, but since the beginning of 2025, the situation regarding cell shortages has become even more urgent.
Director-General Wim Saris of the Judicial Institutions Service (DJI) says: “The pressure on DJI is enormous. End leave is a measure that slightly relieves that pressure on our capacity. From a societal perspective, not serving a full sentence is an undesirable situation. However, for the timely placement of people who really need to be incarcerated and for ensuring the safety of my staff and that of the detainees, this measure is indispensable. When granting end leave, the occupancy rate is regularly reviewed to see where we need to create space by allowing detainees to be released up to 14 days earlier, provided they meet the conditions.”
Conditions
Detainees must meet a number of conditions to be granted end leave. There must be an irrevocable prison sentence, detention, or substitute detention of at least 8 days and at most 1 year. The duration of the end leave varies from one to a maximum of fourteen days, depending on the length of detention of a detainee and the occupancy in the prisons.
Excluded are detainees who are in:
- the EBI (Extra Secure Institution)
- a TA (Terrorist department)
- a AIT (Intensive Supervision Department)
- the BPG (Management Problematic Detainees department)
- a PPC (Penitentiary Psychiatric Center)
- a Forensic Placement title (article 15.4, or article 43.4 of the Pbw)
- a VRIS (Foreigners in Criminal Law) department or extradition title
- a TBS department
- a ISD (Institution for Systematic Offenders) department
- or detainees who have committed a serious violent or sexual offense.