Government
State Secretary Van Bruggen: 'We can debate whether an ankle bracelet as punishment is desirable, but we don't have that luxury'
State Secretary for Justice and Security Claudia van Bruggen (D66) advocates for the expanded use of electronic ankle bracelets to address a prison cell shortage projected to reach 1,700 missing spots by 2031. Defending her action plan in the House of Representatives, she argues that while right-wing parties like the VVD oppose the device as a primary sentence, it effectively reduces recidivism during the final phase of imprisonment. Van Bruggen attributes the current crisis to previous administrations closing prisons due to empty cells and stricter sentencing following high-profile crimes, noting that without these measures, the system faces a "pitch-black code" situation.
Ozetta summarises; the reporting is the newsroom's