Background: In 2018 the Council of Europe issued recommendations on parenthood and detention. However, children and their detained parents still are administratively and socially invisible within the Netherlands.
Method: We conducted a scoping review of the literature on the largest group of detained parents, namely fathers. The goal was to describe what we know about imprisoned fatherhood.We also wanted to determine the focus for follow-up research.
Results: The thematic analysis of the literature reveals four main themes in the research on imprisoned fatherhood . The content analysis results in four recommendations for follow-up research, including qualitative research with incarcerated fathers and their children.

The duration of conditional release has changed from one third of the prison sentence to a maximum of two years. One goal of this alteration was to increase credibility and legitimacy of prison sentences. This experimental study focuses on whether the new system improves this as compared to the previous situation. Results show that sentences based on the new system don’t receive higher valuation from Dutch citizens than sentences based on the old system. Therefore, an important reason for the change isn’t supported by our findings. Rather, what remains is a system riddled with objections and possible negative effects for prisoners and society.

Following the example of ‘teen courts’ in the US, recently some schools in the Netherlands are experimenting with this. It means that pupils adjudicate justice on fellow pupils as a result of mildly undesired behavior. However, this approach is not well thought out in several respects and it poses a risk to the children involved.

In eleven experiments in Dutch prisons case managers, probation officers and municipality-counselors work together to realize sustainable, integral, continuous reintegration trajectories for detainees. Results show that physical presence of the probation officers in prison improved quick and regular consultation with case managers and other professionals in prison, availability of more and broader information about the detainee, and better preparation for life after prison. Facilitators who supported working and learning together contributed to the co-creation of a new way in organizing the reintegration process in prison. This kind of co-creation requires manpower and resources.

In Dutch criminal law, there are certain options to impose financial measures on convicted persons having financial problems. In these cases, the probation service supervises (the approach to) their financial problems. However, concrete financial measures are often not included in the judgment. In this article, we discuss how information about financial problems is collected and demonstrate several obstacles and considerations for advising and imposing financial measures. The results indicate that there is generally little consideration for financial problems in the sentencing phase, which makes it difficult to obtain sufficient information on financial problems before the imposition of a sentence. In order to adequately support the financial problems of (ex-)offenders, more attention and knowledge for financial problems in all levels of the criminal justice system, effective supervision and clear intervention programs are vital.

Since 2004, cell sharing in Dutch correctional institutions has increased to nearly 30%. In contrast to many other countries, the use of double cells is a policy measure to cut costs, rather than a measure to deal with overcrowding of correctional institutions. This article examines individuals’ experiences of sharing a cell, and the association between cell sharing, wellbeing, misconduct, and prison climate, using survey data from the Life in Custody Study collected in 2019. The sample comprises 3408 participants (in regular prison regimes, pre-trial detention, and short-stay custody). The results show that most respondents report a good relationship with their cellmate, but still prefer a single cell. There is no evidence for positive effects of cell sharing on the researched domains; some negative effects are found when individuals prefer a single cell or report a poor relationship with their cellmate.

In this article a framework is provided for the design and implementation of exit programmes used in prisons and by probation services. These programmes are targeted at violent extremist (ex-)offenders and are used for the purpose of deradicalisation or disengagement and support the successful reintegration of (ex-)offenders back into society. Based on a review of scientific and practice-oriented literature six categories of standards and practices are described. An exit programme needs to be tailored to the context in which it is used and to the risks and needs of the individual. In addition to various other aspects, earlier attention for reintegration and the active involvement of an (ex-)offender’s social environment are crucial in an exit progamme.

The research focuses on the possible added value that volunteers can have on the goals of probation supervision. Forty-five volunteers, probation officers and clients were interviewed. Results show that volunteers were deployed in multiple phases of the probation process, and performed a wide range of activities. Probation officers and volunteers could strengthen each other if they enter into a collaboration aimed at the goals of the supervision plan. Probation services may make more use of the potential of volunteers by also deploying them to more serious target groups. The choice for volunteering is tailor-made, in which safety is paramount, and motivation and responsiveness are also considered.

Though the position of victims of crime in criminal proceedings has improved on paper, it is claimed within both the academic as the legal community that realization of victims’ rights is inadequate. In this exploratory research, a broad group of (legal) professionals was systematically questioned on this matter. They were asked whether and where compliance with victims’ rights is lacking, and how this comes about in their view. Although much has improved, it appears that compliance by the authorities is not yet self-evident and fundamental mechanisms in the criminal justice system appear to hinder the realization of rights for victims.