Netherlands allocates extra money to help prisoners reintegrate into society

The Dutch Cabinet is allocating extra money to help current and former prisoners return to society. An extra 12 million euros will be made available for their reintegration, Legal Protection Minister Franc Weerwind wrote in a letter to the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament.

It should ensure that current and former prisoners gain more perspective, should reduce recidivism rates, Weerwind said on Monday. “Everyone deserves a second chance after a misstep. The extra investments will help detainees to return outside the walls of a prison in a good way.”

He will allocate 5 million euros for the retraining and further training of people who have been incarcerated. Furthermore, the same amount should ensure that the cooperation between various parties involved in reintegration is improved. This includes the probation service, municipalities and prisons.

The remaining 2 million will go to municipalities to help prisoners in their search for a home or work.