From mid-July, prisoners may be released up to two weeks early at the end of their sentences. Outgoing State Secretary Teun Struycken (Justice) will discuss this in the cabinet next week, sources confirm Wednesday after reports from RTL Nieuws.
The earlier release has been happening for some time due to a shortage of cells and prison guards. But until now, it was limited to five days.
Struycken’s predecessor, Ingrid Coenradie, had declared code black for the prison system at the end of last year. She had already prepared the earlier release of two weeks.
Like the recently resigned PVV minister, Struycken regrets these and other measures, but he also believes they are necessary. If cells are not made available earlier, there would, for example, be no room for arrested suspects.
The earlier release of prisoners is politically sensitive. For example, the factions of VVD and PVV were strongly opposed. Several motions to stop the plan failed in the House of Representatives.