# Three Dutch prisons start one-year pilot with less security

> A one-year pilot gives selected inmates in Middelburg, Veenhuizen and Ter Apel more independence, so the prison service can deploy its staff where they are needed most.

Society · published 2026-11-09 20:19 · https://nlnow.nl/a/three-prisons-trial-less-guarding-to-ease-staff-shortage/

A one-year pilot is starting in three prisons: Torentijd in Middelburg, and the prisons in Veenhuizen and Ter Apel. A group of inmates there will get more independence and less security and support, the prison service DJI says.

The pilot is part of the Actieplan Ruimte voor Recht, which aims to solve the capacity problems in Dutch prisons.

**Ter Apel has the most inmates in the pilot** (inmates; source: DJI)

- Torentijd (Middelburg): 12
- Veenhuizen: 24
- Ter Apel: 36

Inmates are selected on set criteria. Clear agreements are made with them on behaviour, taking responsibility and keeping to agreements.

During the pilot, the inmates can use the recreation room on their own and must divide fixed tasks among themselves. They also get more opportunities to prepare for life after release (re-integration).

Jannine van den Berg, DJI's director of prisons and immigration detention, says not every inmate needs the same level of security, guidance and support. "If we distinguish better, we can deploy our staff where they are needed most," she says. She calls the experience of staff in the pilot "hugely important" for learning what works and what it asks of staff and inmates.

The number of incidents and the sense of safety will be monitored during the year. The findings will be used to develop the concept further and eventually roll it out nationwide.

## Background

- **DJI (Dienst Justitiële Inrichtingen)**: The Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency is the executive organisation of the Ministry of Justice and Security that runs the country's prisons and other secure detention facilities. It manages the facilities, their staff and the daily regime for detainees, including decisions on security levels and the support given to inmates. Its role matters because it is the body that carries out prison sentences and pre-trial detention in the Netherlands.
- **Actieplan Ruimte voor Recht**: The Action Plan Space for Justice is a plan from the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security that sets out measures to deal with the shortage of prison places in the Netherlands. It bundles several initiatives aimed at creating more room in the prison system, such as new ways of organising detention. It matters because prison capacity affects how courts, the prison service and detainees are able to function.

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