Dutch prison service warns of looming staff shortage and proposes lighter inmate regimes

In a summer briefing, the Dutch prison authority DJI warned that the existing deficit of correctional staff is set to deepen, creating a "perfect storm" of personnel scarcity, cell shortages, outdated infrastructure and rising societal pressures. To cope, DJI outlined a new approach that places most detainees in a modest regime for the first twelve weeks, during which a risk profile is compiled. Based on that assessment, inmates may be assigned to a normal or low-security setting, with reduced supervision and increased self-responsibility, such as unlocked doors during the day and responsibility for cleaning shared areas.

The plan also expands the use of "open residential facilities" where eligible prisoners can leave the prison walls for work or education while wearing a single ankle monitor, allowing one staff member to oversee many more inmates. The Justice Ministry confirmed the staffing forecast underpins current policy and is debating funding, while the House of Representatives will discuss the issue shortly.