Guards attacked at Zaanstad prison; Three hurt

Three prison guards were injured when inmates attacked them at the Zaanstad Judicial Complex early this month, sources told De Telegraaf. The Judicial Institutions Agency (DJI) confirmed the incident.

The incident happened on June 1 after outside time in the courtyard for detainees. According to the newspaper, the prisoners refused to go back inside. The guards managed to force them back to their cells, but things got out of hand, and the prisoners attacked the guards. The guards raised the alarm, and backup came to help them.

The prisoners involved in the brawl were first placed in solitary confinement and then transferred to other prisons, the DJI told the newspaper. “Aftercare and relief have been arranged for the injured employees,” a spokesperson said. The newspaper did not say how severe their injuries were.

The Zaanstad Judicial Complex has a special unit for prisoners that fall under the Top 600 repeat offenders. The department initially housed about 50 of these criminals, but they are increasingly spread across the other prisons, the Telegraaf’s sources said. “No one wants to work there. The atmosphere is terrible. The detainees are very aggressive and intimidating. There have been many incidents.”

There is also unrest in other prisons in the Netherlands, with many penitentiary institutions struggling with significant staff shortages. In May, seven prison employees got hurt in a brawl at the Rotterdam Detention Center, which houses people set for deportation. Two had to go to the hospital for treatment.