Reintegration centres (RIC)

The prison service: preparing for your return

Reintegration means working towards your return to society. This involves practical matters, such as housing and income, but also motivation and support from the people around you. One of the aims is to prevent you from committing another criminal offence. This is also called preventing reoffending.

The legal basis is set out in Article 2 of the Custodial Institutions Act (Penitentiaire beginselenwet, Pbw). A prison sentence or measure involving deprivation of liberty must, as far as possible, be carried out in a way that prepares you for your return to society.

Alongside staff from the Custodial Institutions Agency (DJI), municipal staff and volunteers are also regularly present at the RIC. You can also turn to your case manager, education staff and psychologists for support. Cooperation between the Custodial Institutions Agency (DJI), municipalities and the probation service (reclassering) is needed to ensure that support during and after detention fits together.

The five basic requirements

At the RIC, you can work on five areas that are central to reintegration. Staff and volunteers can help you make progress in these areas.

Valid proof of identity

You need valid proof of identity to deal with government bodies and other organisations. You can apply for an identity document during your detention.

Housing

During your stay, you can look for somewhere to live after your release. If you already have a home, you can work on keeping it. Preparing for housing does not have to wait until you are released.

Work and income

Work and income help you build a life without further criminal offences after detention. At the RIC, for example, you can work on job applications and contact the municipality.

Dealing with debts

Debts and difficulties managing money are common among prisoners. You can start dealing with debts while you are in detention. Any debt support you already receive is also important when coordinating your support.

Care

Where possible, existing care programmes are continued. Compulsory health insurance is also considered. Support is therefore not only about arranging new help after release, but also about maintaining existing care.

In addition to these five areas, the Custodial Institutions Agency (DJI) focuses on behavioural change and a positive social network. People who support you in a positive way can help prevent you from committing further criminal offences.

Your personal detention and reintegration plan

Gathering information on arrival

When you arrive at the institution, information is gathered about your situation. This takes place through the Admission, Screening and Selection procedure (Inkomsten, Screening en Selectie), abbreviated to ISS. This includes looking at your home situation, previous work and any debts.

The aim is to start this procedure within ten working days of your arrival. This is a target for starting the procedure, not a deadline by which all support must be arranged.

The D&R plan and the meetings about it

The information collected is included in your Detention and Reintegration Plan (Detentie- en Re-integratieplan), usually called the D&R plan. This personal plan describes the areas in which you need support. You also complete part of it yourself.

Staff from different departments discuss the plan at a multidisciplinary meeting (multidisciplinair overleg, MDO). This is a meeting between the different professionals involved. It takes place weekly or every two weeks. The meeting decides which activities you may and must take part in. Towards the end of your detention, it also discusses whether you qualify for options such as temporary leave (verlof) or early release (vervroegde vrijlating).

Part of the plan is shared with municipalities through the Digital Platform for Coordinating Aftercare (Digitaal Platform Aansluiting Nazorg, DPAN). They can use this information to support you after detention.

Connecting with your life before and after detention

Support does not focus only on your time in prison. Wherever possible, it builds on care, education and debt support that were already in place. Together with you, staff consider:

• what support is needed for a return without further criminal offences and for the safety of society;
• which support can continue or begin, and who will provide it;
• how your motivation to take part can be strengthened.

Access to the RIC

The RIC is open to all prisoners. Access does not depend on whether you are in the basic programme (basisprogramma) or the enhanced programme (plusprogramma). However, you may be required to have a specific request for help: a particular matter for which you need the RIC.

Access if you are serving a life sentence

The Council for the Administration of Criminal Justice and Protection of Juveniles (Raad voor Strafrechtstoepassing en Jeugdbescherming, RSJ) ruled that a life sentence is not, in itself, a reason to refuse access. In the same case, the Council (RSJ) found that requiring a specific request for help was reasonable. As no such request had been established, the appeal was dismissed as unfounded: the prisoner did not succeed (15 May 2015, 14/3891/GA).

Temporary exclusion because of order-related problems

Access is subject to conditions. The prison governor may temporarily exclude you from RIC activities if order and safety require it.

In a ruling of 13 July 2016, an exclusion lasting fourteen days was upheld. There had been several incidents involving female RIC staff, who experienced the prisoner's behaviour as intimidating and disruptive. It was not conclusively established that he had pushed a toilet door shut during the last incident. Nevertheless, the measure could remain in force because of the disruption to order. A relevant factor was that this was an order-maintenance measure (ordemaatregel), not a disciplinary punishment (disciplinaire straf). An order-maintenance measure serves order and safety; a disciplinary punishment is a penalty (KC 2016/051).

Working on reintegration is also a condition for promotion to the enhanced programme (plusprogramma). This offers, among other things, greater freedoms and five additional hours of activities each week. Access to the RIC itself does not, however, depend on that promotion.

Computers, education and information

At the RIC, you can, among other things:

• create a CV, job application letter or portfolio;
• take a career-choice or skills test;
• complete digital forms;
• contact the municipality;
• attend job interviews and intake interviews.

The institution and partner organisations, such as municipalities, can also organise sessions on particular topics there to provide information directly to prisoners.

Limited internet use

The computers normally only provide access to preselected websites needed for reintegration. These permitted websites are included on what is known as a whitelist.

In principle, two computers with a regular internet connection are also available, because a different website may sometimes be needed. Before using them, you must sign an agreement. In it, you agree to visit only the websites agreed in advance and not to misuse access. Supervisors check that you follow these rules.

Taking a course is not always possible

On 31 March 2022, a complaints committee (beklagcommissie) considered a complaint about studying at the Open Universiteit. The prisoner believed that participation had been promised; the prison management disputed this. Several discussions had taken place with the RIC, the head of the unit and the security department to explore online education.

The committee stressed the importance of development during detention, but found that the prison management had not breached its duty of care. The complaint was declared unfounded (KC2022/011).

Not every phone call is a reintegration activity

On 28 December 2016, the Council for the Administration of Criminal Justice and Protection of Juveniles (RSJ) ruled that calls to a GP or Star did not have to be treated as reintegration activities in that case. The prisoner could still use the regular phone-call periods. The decision was therefore upheld (16/2810/GA).

Reintegration and the daily programme

There have been different rulings about what are known as TRA hours in the daily programme. What those hours involve and the circumstances of the case are relevant.

No visit during TRA hours

On 29 January 2013, the Council for the Administration of Criminal Justice and Protection of Juveniles (RSJ) ruled that TRA hours were intended for individual visits by officials, not for activities or recreation. If the prisoner did not receive a visit, keeping them locked in their cell during those hours was not contrary to the law (12/3242/GA).

An advertised activity is not provided

In another case, a prisoner wanted to take part in ‘TRA according to the participation list’ on Friday from 12:45 to 14:00. Only a prayer group with the imam from 13:00 to 14:00 turned out to be available; there were no other activities.

The complaints adjudicator (beklagrechter) found that the prisoner was entitled to rely on the recreation hours listed in the daily programme, even if they exceeded the legal minimum. The complaint was upheld. No financial compensation was awarded because it had not been established that the total provision fell below his legal entitlement. The governor had to make a new decision about his daily programme within two weeks of being notified of the ruling (20 May 2016, KC 2016/052).

Choosing not to participate under an ISD measure

A prisoner subject to a measure for persistent offenders (maatregel voor stelselmatige daders, ISD) wanted to take computer lessons during the morning hours scheduled for work/TRA. He did not cooperate with resocialisation activities and had a daily programme equivalent to the basic programme (basisprogramma).

The complaints adjudicator (beklagrechter) referred to Article 21 of the Custodial Institutions Act (Penitentiaire beginselenwet, Pbw), on joint participation in activities. Because the prisoner himself did not take part in the TRA activities, keeping him locked in his cell during those periods was not considered unreasonable (22 June 2015, KC 2015/028).

Complaining about insufficient reintegration support

If you are motivated but your reintegration is not getting off the ground, a formal complaint (beklag) may be possible. The formal complaints procedure (beklag) allows you to have a complaint about a decision reviewed.

Article 60 of the Custodial Institutions Act (Penitentiaire beginselenwet, Pbw) allows you to complain about a decision concerning you made by or on behalf of the governor. A formal complaint (beklag) may also be possible without an explicit decision, but your interest in the matter must be sufficiently significant. In principle, this must involve an allegation that the governor repeatedly and seriously fails to fulfil their duties of care towards you.

According to the Council for the Administration of Criminal Justice and Protection of Juveniles (RSJ), the problem must, in principle, have occurred at least three times in the three months before the formal complaint (beklag). The nature and seriousness of the problem are also taken into account. It is therefore not simply about the number of incidents (19 June 2024, 23/33755/GA).

Support after detention: the Buiten-RIC

After release, you can continue working on the same five areas: proof of identity, housing, work and income, debts and care. Various municipalities and voluntary organisations have set up community reintegration centres (Buiten-RIC’s) for this purpose. They offer support similar to that provided by the RIC inside prison.

For example, the Aftercare Office (Bureau Nazorg) of the municipality of ’s-Hertogenbosch has its own RIC. Local branches of Humanitas and Surant also provide support through community reintegration centres (Buiten-RIC’s) in various municipalities. Most municipalities also have a municipal aftercare coordinator (coördinator Nazorg). Volunteers with relevant knowledge are also involved in this support.

What does this mean for you?

Make your request for help as specific as possible. For example, explain that you want to apply for an identity document, are trying to keep your home or need help with debts. This makes it clear why you need the RIC.

Discuss with your case manager what support is included in your D&R plan and what help you were already receiving before detention. This helps support fit in with your existing care, education or debt support. Also ask about support after release through the municipality or a community reintegration centre (Buiten-RIC).

If your support stalls, keep a record of what help you asked for, when you asked and what response you received. If you make a complaint, this will help you explain exactly which decision or recurring problems you want reviewed.

This page draws on the expertise of Mr. S.P.C. (Stan) Broekmans, a specialist in detention law at Hameleers Antonides Advocaten. Do you have a question about your own situation? Please get in touch; an initial assessment is free.

Other topics

• Arrestant detainees
• Belongings
• Camera surveillance
• Compensation
• Complaints procedure (beklagprocedure)
• Compulsory treatment