Why the Netherlands is closing its prisons

Dutch crime statistics make damning reading for UK ministers struggling to tackle overcrowded jails

Netherlands prison
Boschpoort Prison, in Breda, was closed last year and has been converted into an entertainment venue
(Image credit: Emmanuel Dunand/Getty Images)

The government of the Netherlands is to close a further four of the nation’s prisons as crime rates hit their lowest level since 1980.

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