To enhance safety inside and outside prison walls and to prevent continued criminal activities from detention (VCHD) as much as possible, work has been ongoing in recent years on an amendment to the Penitentiary Principles Act (Pbw). Earlier this year, the amendment was approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate. From today, DJI is putting the changes into practice.
Stricter rules
The amendment tightens the rules for the group of (high) risk detainees in the departments with intensive supervision (AITs) and the extra secure institution (EBI). This concerns a group of up to 100 detainees in total. This includes, among other things: fewer phone and visitation opportunities, visual supervision of lawyer contact, limitation of the number of lawyers per detainee, location-bound calling from 14 designated penitentiary institutions, and the application of the four-eyes principle for external contacts.
More control
The rules have been tightened because part of the prison population is hardening. This group of serious criminals more frequently uses contact opportunities to continue criminal activities from prison. The amendment allows us to better control this group of detainees and make the Netherlands safer.
Division Director Prison System and Alien Detention Jannine van den Berg: “This amendment is significant for detainees in the AITs and EBI, their lawyers, and relatives. We are well aware that the new rules are not easy. Yet it is undoubtedly necessary to take this path. The group of (high) risk detainees is growing, and extra supervision of this group is necessary. Preventing crime from detention is an important task of DJI. With this amendment, we contribute to the safety of everyone in the Netherlands.”
More information
The penitentiary institutions in Arnhem, Krimpen aan den IJssel, Alphen aan den Rijn, and Leeuwarden currently have an AIT. A new AIT will open in PI Sittard in early December. Only PI Vught has an EBI. With the future commissioning of the Justice Complex Vlissingen, DJI will have a second EBI. More information can be found on our website about the approach to high-risk detainees, the legal amendment, the AIT, and the EBI.
