Psychiatric prisons want to relax rules on leave

Wednesday 08 September 2010

The Netherlands' 12 psychiatric prison units - tbs clinics - are planning to give some prisoners leave after as little as 18 months of treatment, the AD reports on Wednesday, quoting confidential documents.

And after 2.5 years of treatment, patients would be eligible for unsupervised leave, the paper says. The clinics believe leave helps prisoners in their recovery.

The plans are being discussed in legal circles, the paper says.

Escapes

Tougher leave rules for patients convicted of violent crime were only recently introduced by the government after a number of high-profile escapes and other incidents. Many patients have to wait six years before being allowed out on leave, the paper says.

Supporters of a more generous system of leave say many lawyers now advise their clients not to cooperate with a psychiatric assessment because they may end up in a tbs clinic for years.

Criminals who are sentenced to jail and tbs - psychiatric prison - first serve their time in a traditional jail and then go the clinic secure unit to continue their rehabilitation.

© DutchNews.nl

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