New Public Prosecution Service policy aimed at more community service
image: Yunus Tug via Unsplash+
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) will handle more criminal cases without involvement of the courts. The aim: more community service and fewer prison sentences. Jan Crijns, Professor of Criminal and Criminal Procedural Law, commented on the proposal in ‘Trouw’ newspaper.
It is ‘code black’ for the Dutch prison system. Due to a shortage of cells and staff, thousands of convicted persons are walking free while awaiting being sent to prison. At the same time, the courts are spending a lot of time on less serious crimes. As a result, fewer more serious cases can be dealt with.
One solution proposed by the OM is to handle more criminal cases without court intervention. This mainly concerns common offences, such as theft and minor assault. The OM's new policy will lead to more community service and thus fewer (short) prison sentences. ‘A positive development,’ says Professor Crijns. ‘This is in line with a lot of research that has shown that short-term imprisonment often does more harm than good.’ Yet the professor also thinks there are problematic aspects to the new policy: ‘Just for reasons of principle. A judge examines a case independently. The prosecution, however magisterial, is not a judge.'
More information?
Read the full Trouw article (in Dutch)