March Against Prison Closures

Activists protested in Enschede against the closure of prisons in the east of the Netherlands. The protestors are afraid of more unemployment in the region because Secretary of State Fred Teeven plans to save 340 million euro on prisons. An expected 3,700 jobs will disappear because dozens of prisons will have to close. According to RTL.nl, Teevens also plans to save money by reducing the number of places for prisoners from 12,595 to 10,917 by 2018. Additionally, inmates will have to share a prison cell and pay for a part of the costs. Hundreds of prisoners will be released with an anklet. The activists gathered at 8:00pm on Friday at the Oude Markt in Enschede, where CDA-Member of Parliament Pieter Omtzigt came to support them.