UN criticizes Dutch prisoner supervision

The supervision on the treatment of prisoners in the Netherlands is not independent and not effective enough, according to a statement from the United Nations' Office of the High Commissioner for Human rights. UN experts visited the Netherlands last week to check up on this supervision, NU reports. The body responsible for this supervision is called the National Prevention Mechanism. It was founded under international UN treaty in 2011. The aim for the NPM is to ensure that prisoners are not treated in a degrading fashion. According to the UN, the NPM needs more political support and a better legal basis to function properly and independently.