Comments on: Netherlands Running Out Of Criminals: Is “Immorality” To Blame? http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/05/28/netherlands-running-out-of-criminals-is-immorality-to-blame/ Online travel magazine dedicated to exploring travel in the 21st century. Offering travel news, compelling interviews, online travel tools, and more. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:37:54 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Maxwell http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/05/28/netherlands-running-out-of-criminals-is-immorality-to-blame/comment-page-1/#comment-96767 Maxwell Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:27:05 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2226#comment-96767 I've always had great respect for the sensibilities of the Dutch. BTW, the Czech Republic legalized possession of 5 cannabis plants per citizen starting in 2010. I think I'll be looking to take a visit to Prague in the future. :-) See the Wall Street Journal New Europe blog article here: "Czech Govt Allows 5 Cannabis Plants For Personal Use From 2010" http://blogs.wsj.com/new-europe/2009/12/08/czech-govt-allows-5-cannabis-plants-for-personal-use-from-2010/tab/article/ Now if North America's politicians can acquire some common sense. :-) I’ve always had great respect for the sensibilities of the Dutch. BTW, the Czech Republic legalized possession of 5 cannabis plants per citizen starting in 2010. I think I’ll be looking to take a visit to Prague in the future. :-)

See the Wall Street Journal New Europe blog article here:
“Czech Govt Allows 5 Cannabis Plants For Personal Use From 2010″
http://blogs.wsj.com/new-europe/2009/12/08/czech-govt-allows-5-cannabis-plants-for-personal-use-from-2010/tab/article/

Now if North America’s politicians can acquire some common sense. :-)

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]]> By: Merel http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/05/28/netherlands-running-out-of-criminals-is-immorality-to-blame/comment-page-1/#comment-92650 Merel Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:14:25 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2226#comment-92650 I sort of felt obligated to my nation to clear thing up: 1. Matt is absolutely right! 2. It's not like we are a almost crime-free country who have very little criminals. I have been told that a wjile ago we had kind of a problem with illegal immigrants who were coming here like crazy and for which were build prisons like crazy. The government aprently solved that, send them home and now we a lot of empty cells. 3. The prison in my city for exaple has a lot of belgium prisoners at the moment (temporarily) so that the prison-guards have time to find a new job. 4. We are a very tolerent county, yes (or used to be; unfortunately a man calles Geert Wilders is working very hard on changing that), but even over here drugdealing is illegal (unless you're a licenced coffeeshop owner, but then it is not really dealing is it?) as well as smoking pot in public (although a everyone still does it) 5. Pot and prostitution are not legal in Belgium. 6. They're not legal here eighter. They're just allowed. Over here it is a different thing (we are a strange country...) And finally; we have a very good social system. Most of the hardcore criminals recieve therapy and our prisons are less prisony (if you know what I mean). Most of the times you don't keep them out of trouble by punishing harder. All we need (yes, criminals to) is a little help! I sort of felt obligated to my nation to clear thing up:

1. Matt is absolutely right!
2. It’s not like we are a almost crime-free country who have very little criminals. I have been told that a wjile ago we had kind of a problem with illegal immigrants who were coming here like crazy and for which were build prisons like crazy. The government aprently solved that, send them home and now we a lot of empty cells.
3. The prison in my city for exaple has a lot of belgium prisoners at the moment (temporarily) so that the prison-guards have time to find a new job.
4. We are a very tolerent county, yes (or used to be; unfortunately a man calles Geert Wilders is working very hard on changing that), but even over here drugdealing is illegal (unless you’re a licenced coffeeshop owner, but then it is not really dealing is it?) as well as smoking pot in public (although a everyone still does it)
5. Pot and prostitution are not legal in Belgium.
6. They’re not legal here eighter. They’re just allowed. Over here it is a different thing (we are a strange country…)

And finally; we have a very good social system. Most of the hardcore criminals recieve therapy and our prisons are less prisony (if you know what I mean). Most of the times you don’t keep them out of trouble by punishing harder.

All we need (yes, criminals to) is a little help!

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]]> By: GG http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/05/28/netherlands-running-out-of-criminals-is-immorality-to-blame/comment-page-1/#comment-91831 GG Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:15:33 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2226#comment-91831 I think being free has to be worth not committing the crime. In some countries they don't have a good freedom...but they often don't have good jails either! I think being free has to be worth not committing the crime.

In some countries they don’t have a good freedom…but they often don’t have good jails either!

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]]> By: Matt http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/05/28/netherlands-running-out-of-criminals-is-immorality-to-blame/comment-page-1/#comment-91743 Matt Sun, 31 May 2009 15:29:09 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2226#comment-91743 Kelly, There is alot more in between smoking weed and murder. They are not letting dangerous people off with community service. The country has legalized weed; it's not an anarchist state. Why don't people realize that the mentality of the people in the Netherlands is affected positively not because they can smoke weed, but because they have a choice to. The country has less crime because the people living here are happy. Their government does a better job of supporting the people and the people reflect that. In Belgium it is easily accessible but they don't have the same choice. Which shows their government not respecting the peoples voice. It creates tension within a system. Kelly,
There is alot more in between smoking weed and murder. They are not letting dangerous people off with community service. The country has legalized weed; it’s not an anarchist state.

Why don’t people realize that the mentality of the people in the Netherlands is affected positively not because they can smoke weed, but because they have a choice to. The country has less crime because the people living here are happy. Their government does a better job of supporting the people and the people reflect that.
In Belgium it is easily accessible but they don’t have the same choice. Which shows their government not respecting the peoples voice. It creates tension within a system.

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]]> By: Carlo Alcos http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/05/28/netherlands-running-out-of-criminals-is-immorality-to-blame/comment-page-1/#comment-91689 Carlo Alcos Fri, 29 May 2009 04:58:32 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2226#comment-91689 Interesting. I would like to see some crime stats comparing the two nations. Interesting. I would like to see some crime stats comparing the two nations.

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]]> By: wietske http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/05/28/netherlands-running-out-of-criminals-is-immorality-to-blame/comment-page-1/#comment-91684 wietske Thu, 28 May 2009 21:24:54 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2226#comment-91684 I was super suprised as well when I heared they wanted to close 6 (or 8 I don't remember) prisons, I thought the crime rate had gone up and that loads of prisons were pretty full but probably I was wrong. I also heared that they closed them down not only because there are no criminals but also because the builings aren't good enough anymore (not enough room, sunlight, oxygen) so I don't know why we're going to rent them to Belgium or why they have more 'criminals' then us. maybe because it's a bigger country more inhabitans? IDK well I guess it's all about the money as always. closing them down - less expenses renting them out - more money I was super suprised as well when I heared they wanted to close 6 (or 8 I don’t remember) prisons, I thought the crime rate had gone up and that loads of prisons were pretty full but probably I was wrong.
I also heared that they closed them down not only because there are no criminals but also because the builings aren’t good enough anymore (not enough room, sunlight, oxygen) so I don’t know why we’re going to rent them to Belgium or why they have more ‘criminals’ then us. maybe because it’s a bigger country more inhabitans? IDK

well I guess it’s all about the money as always.
closing them down – less expenses
renting them out – more money

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]]> By: Kelly http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/05/28/netherlands-running-out-of-criminals-is-immorality-to-blame/comment-page-1/#comment-91682 Kelly Thu, 28 May 2009 20:56:57 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2226#comment-91682 But you haven't really reported much here. Fred Teeven seems to believe that crime is still a problem. Is he right? Who knows. That isn't really explored here. And as you point out, there's nothing all that special about the Netherlands that would lead anyone to believe that they should be any better at crime than their neighbor. Maybe Fred is right, and the country just isn't jailing people it should. If they're not giving community service to "petty criminals" (as they've decriminalized those actions), then who exactly are they giving it to? Shouldn't they be left with little but violent crimes and theft, actions which are a direct threat to the community? Are those really people you just want to be giving community service? But you haven’t really reported much here. Fred Teeven seems to believe that crime is still a problem. Is he right? Who knows. That isn’t really explored here.

And as you point out, there’s nothing all that special about the Netherlands that would lead anyone to believe that they should be any better at crime than their neighbor. Maybe Fred is right, and the country just isn’t jailing people it should.

If they’re not giving community service to “petty criminals” (as they’ve decriminalized those actions), then who exactly are they giving it to? Shouldn’t they be left with little but violent crimes and theft, actions which are a direct threat to the community? Are those really people you just want to be giving community service?

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]]> By: Hal http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2009/05/28/netherlands-running-out-of-criminals-is-immorality-to-blame/comment-page-1/#comment-91680 Hal Thu, 28 May 2009 20:37:59 +0000 http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/?p=2226#comment-91680 Very interesting. I bet if you took all the pot smokers and petty dealers out of U.S. jails there'd be a lot more room, but that factor alone can't account for this, I wouldn't think. Very interesting. I bet if you took all the pot smokers and petty dealers out of U.S. jails there’d be a lot more room, but that factor alone can’t account for this, I wouldn’t think.

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