Dutch courts give harsher punishments to poorer people, study finds

On average, Dutch courts impose harsher sentences on suspects who are less well-off than those in a better socioeconomic position, the Research and Data Center (WODC) found in a new study on criminal law.

According to the WODC, there is “a structurally less favorable position” for people with weaker socioeconomic characteristics. This concerns education level, labor market status, household income, and housing status. On average, people in this group more often receive a prison sentence and a longer one, the WODC found. People who are better off are more likely to receive a fine.

“Looking at the full range of sanctions, this can result in substantial differences in sentence severity. Immigration background has less influence on criminal outcomes than socioeconomic characteristics,” the research center said.

According to the WODC, there is ample room for customization in criminal law, where a suspect’s personal situation is taken into account when imposing a sentence. The differences in sentencing are, therefore, not necessarily unlawful. However, the researchers find that relatively few requirements are placed on the justification of the sentence.

For the study, WODC researchers examined data from over 2.5 million criminal cases involving nearly 1.2 million defendants.