DutchNews, February
29, 2016
Photo: China Crisis Wikimedia Commons |
The Dutch jail rented by the Norwegian prison authorities is so popular
there is a waiting list for a place, its director Karl Hillesland has told
broadcaster RTV Drenthe.
The Norgerhaven jail in the prison village of
Veenhuizen has been rented by the Norwegians since September last year and all
241 places are now occupied. Prisoners have to consent to being sent to the
Netherlands to serve their sentences and a special promotional film has been
used to tempt them, RTV Drenthe said.
Among the differences with the Norwegian
regime: the prisoners get more time outside and work less. They also get more
telephone time with their families and can keep contact via Skype.
Around 20%
of the prisoners are Norwegian and the rest mainly from eastern Europe and
northern Africa.
Prison personnel, who are Dutch, are also happy with the
behaviour of their charges and describe the Norwegians as being better mannered
than their Dutch counterparts.
Deal
The controversial three-year deal with
Norway was signed by former junior justice minister Fred Teeven last year.
Norway has a shortage of prison cells and the Netherlands a surplus.
The deal
also guaranteed 239 full-time jobs in Veenhuizen, which has two other prisons
and a secure hostel for young refugees.
Norgerhaven is not the first Dutch jail
to be used by foreign prisoners. The Willem II prison in Tilburg is currently
housing several hundred Belgians. According to the Dagblad van het Noorden,
Norway is paying the Netherlands €25.5m a year to rent the prison.
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