Commenter birgerjohansson was kind enough to send me this interesting article about how the Netherlands is reducing its prison population and closing down some of its prisons and converting them to cultural centers.

The Dutch have seen their prison population decrease by more than 40% over the past 20 years. At the other end of the spectrum, Britain has the highest rate of incarceration in western Europe, and is struggling with an unprecedented prisons crisis. Britain’s minister of prisons, James Timpson, calls the Netherlands a source of inspiration.

Part of this is due to the general reduction in violent crime that has been occurring worldwide. While non-violent crime has not decreased, those crimes provide less of an impetus for incarceration, the negative consequences of which are becoming increasingly apparent.

But while the Dutch don’t have a model policy the world can copy, the overall Dutch attitude towards imprisonment could be instructive. According to Pakes, the Dutch are much more aware that a stay in prison does more harm than good. Society may be rid of a criminal for a while, but in many cases, criminals simply resume their activities when they leave prison. They may become more ruthless, due to the violent prison climate in which they have had to survive. And perhaps they have a wider criminal network that they built up behind bars.

This also applies to shorter sentences. Even these can completely turn an offender’s life upside down. You can lose your job, home and social network. And you rarely become a better person during a short stay in jail.
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It is not uncommon for British judges to impose what seem to the Dutch relatively long sentences for minor offences. Dutch judges are much more inclined to give community service or a suspended sentence in similar cases. Research shows that this is not only cheaper but also reduces the likelihood of reoffending. Even in cases where prison time is given, the lengths of sentences for lesser crimes such as theft have declined significantly over the past decade, although the lengths of sentences for violent and sexual crimes went up.
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Apart from looking at the Netherlands, Timpson might also consider the remarkable prison system of Norway. Its prisons are often small and very focused on reintegration. They are designed so that daily life can proceed as normally as possible.

As a result, inmates are less alienated from society. It is easier for them to integrate than for a person coming from an overcrowded British prison, where they have been locked up for 22 hours a day because the staff couldn’t manage otherwise. In such cases, the transition to the outside world can be extremely abrupt. You may see someone reoffend within the first few days after their release.

The author looks on the UK as having a failed prison system. The US is even worse because there is a firm belief that being seen as tough on crime is a necessary prerequisite to gaining high office, so politicians get locked into supporting a highly punitive system.

It is long overdue for a major overhaul,