tbs-maatregel (terbeschikkingstelling)

The tbs measure is a Dutch court order for offenders who committed a serious crime and have a severe mental disorder, placing them in a forensic psychiatric clinic for treatment and supervision instead of an ordinary prison sentence. The court can impose it alongside or instead of a prison term, and it is reviewed and can be extended. It matters in criminal cases because the experts' advice on whether to impose it is often central to the court's decision.