The Prison of the Future? An Evaluation of an Innovative Prison Design in the Netherlands

Abstract

In this article, the authors present an evaluation of a new high-tech jail in the Netherlands. The prison is build around a number of significant innovations, such as inmates staying in six-person cells, inmates wearing electronic wristbands to track their movements, and guards being equipped with handheld devices to monitor trouble. According to the public authorities, the prison is seen as the future of correctional facilities: cheap and efficient, while at the same time not coddling criminals or violating their fundamental rights. The subject of the present study is employee effectiveness and safety in this new type of prison.