In the Netherlands, we’re closing our emptying prisons. What can other countries learn from how we did it? | Renate van der Zee

Yesterday, I went to the cinema in the Dome prison in Haarlem. This monumental building – a vast, panopticon-style facility first opened in 1901 – is one of more than 20 Dutch prisons that have closed in the past decade. Some of them have ended up serving significantly more enjoyable purposes, such as this cultural hub.

The Dutch have seen their prison population decrease by more than 40% over the past 20 years. At the other end of the spectrum, Britain has the highest rate of incarceration in western Europe, and is struggling with an unprecedented prisons crisis. Britain’s minister of prisons, James Timpson, calls the Netherlands a source of inspiration.

What could the Dutch system teach the rest of the world? First, the declining prison population is not actually the result of recent policies by visionary politicians. Much of it is due to changes in reported crime and the nature of crime. As in many other western countries , the number of violent crimes has significantly dropped in the Netherlands in recent decades.

This does not necessarily mean that there is actually less crime overall, as Dutch criminologist Francis Pakes, professor at the University of Portsmouth, who has studied the reasons for the emptying Dutch prisons, told me: “There is less conventional, violent crime, like murder. On the other hand, a lot of conventional crime went online and is less visible. And it is quite possible that there is a kind of organised crime that we have little visibility on. But fewer serious cases are coming to the police and courts.” And so fewer people end up in jail.

But while the Dutch don’t have a model policy the world can copy, the overall Dutch attitude towards imprisonment could be instructive. According to Pakes, the Dutch are much more aware that a stay in prison does more harm than good. Society may be rid of a criminal for a while, but in many cases, criminals simply resume their activities when they leave prison. They may become more ruthless, due to the violent prison climate in which they have had to survive. And perhaps they have a wider criminal network that they built up behind bars.

This also applies to shorter sentences. Even these can completely turn an offender’s life upside down. You can lose your job, home and social network. And you rarely become a better person during a short stay in jail.

Due to the excesses during the Nazi occupation in the second world war, there is a culture in the Netherlands of not imposing long prison sentences. In Britain and also the US, the culture is different: many British and American politicians advocate for harsher sentences to present themselves as strong leaders. However, more politicians – often rightwing ones – in the Netherlands are now doing this, too.

It is not uncommon for British judges to impose what seem to the Dutch relatively long sentences for minor offences. Dutch judges are much more inclined to give community service or a suspended sentence in similar cases. Research shows that this is not only cheaper but also reduces the likelihood of reoffending. Even in cases where prison time is given, the lengths of sentences for lesser crimes such as theft have declined significantly over the past decade , although the lengths of sentences for violent and sexual crimes went up .

This attitude of Dutch judges is not the reason for the recent decline in the prison population. But the Netherlands has consistently had a lower proportion of people in prison than places such as England and Wales , and especially the US. Long sentences put enormous pressure on the prison system. And, given the staggering costs on society, if this money were spent on prevention instead, it could pay for some wonderful things.

In any case, the Netherlands has at least one hopeful message for other countries: it is not a given that prison populations must always increase. Moreover, it is not necessarily true that society becomes less safe with fewer people in jail. Despite their emptying prisons, the Dutch can still walk the streets safely at night, especially compared with say, Britain, where incidents of crime and concern about crime is higher .

Apart from looking at the Netherlands, Timpson might also consider the remarkable prison system of Norway. Its prisons are often small and very focused on reintegration. They are designed so that daily life can proceed as normally as possible.

As a result, inmates are less alienated from society. It is easier for them to integrate than for a person coming from an overcrowded British prison, where they have been locked up for 22 hours a day because the staff couldn’t manage otherwise. In such cases, the transition to the outside world can be extremely abrupt. You may see someone reoffend within the first few days after their release.

You can argue whether a system from a sparsely populated country like Norway is suitable for Britain or other large countries. But it is also clear that the British system has reached its limits and that a new approach is not a luxury. James Timpson is willing. We in the Netherlands will be interested to see what plans he will come up with.

• Renate van der Zee is a Dutch writer and journalist