Elsewhere prisons close as crime drops

IN THE Netherlands five prisons will close over the next few years because the cost of maintaining them is too high. The prisons are also closing, because of the country’s steadily declining crime-rate.

The Netherlands is not the first country to close its prisons because it does not have enough criminals.

Sweden’s prison numbers fell and the government announced it would close four prisons and one other correctional facility.

While the Netherlands and Sweden are closing prisons, it seems there is a shortage of such facilities in South Africa.

This can be accounted for by the high rate of crime in the country, and does not fare well.

South African prisons are full to capacity and most probably the government will contemplate the building of new prisons.

South Africa should not think of building doing this. Instead, send new prisoners to the Netherland and Sweden.

The government should negotiate to hire the empty prisons, man them with South Africans have them financed by the South African government.

It will be cheaper to hire prisons than building them in South Africa.

The ANC government should think seriously of sending prisoners to Netherland and Sweden to solve South Africa’s housing problem for prisoners. ISMAIL MOOLLA

Umzinto