NCJ Number
185621
Date Published
June 2000
Length
60 pages
Annotation
This report attempts to compare the Netherlands with nine reference countries in the field of legal infrastructure.
Abstract
The comparison focuses on the problem of crime and the methods and financial means used to control crime. The Netherlands has a substantial amount of crime, with the emphasis on less serious offenses. It is in a middle position with respect to serious crimes against persons and violent crime against businesses. The country distinguishes itself in a positive sense primarily by a low level of corruption in the public sector. It distinguishes itself in a negative sense by a very large number of less serious crimes against persons and against business and a greater degree of violence, including fatal violence, in larger cities and in urban areas. Little is done in the Netherlands, in comparison to the reference countries, in the way of prevention by private individuals and organizations. The Netherlands' per capita expenditure to control crime is average. There is a strong negative trend in the percentage of crimes solved, and the public's confidence in the police is low. Expenditures per solved case seem to be relatively high; funds allocated for the judiciary are low; and the country's use of a humane prison system incurs a relatively high cost. Tables, figures, boxes, appendixes, notes, references