"Life in prison" likely capped at 25 years

State Secretary Klaas Dijkhoff of Security and Justice is working on a legislative proposal that will cap a life-long prison sentence at 25 years, both the Telegraaf and Trouw reports. If a suspect is sentenced to life in prison, the sentence should be reviewed after 25 years, according to the proposal. If the prisoner can return to society, he or she will be let free. If not, the sentence will be converted to a prison sentence of a maximum number of years. This proposal is in response to critique from the European Court. According to the Court, prison sentences must not be hopeless, which makes life-long sentences "inhumane". A number of Dutch judges are also against life in prison. According to the Telegraaf, Dijkhoff is afraid that the courts will stop imposing life-long prison sentence, hence the proposal.