Examining the Role of Age at Entrance in Foreign Detention for Dutch Prisoners’ Reoffending Behavior After Release

Abstract

While about 1,900 Dutch prisoners are detained abroad annually, current knowledge on this group of prisoners is often limited to descriptions about their background characteristics and conditions in foreign detention. Previous research has highlighted the relatively high average age of Dutch prisoners at entrance in foreign detention. The current study examines whether reoffending behavior differs across three groups of prisoners: younger prisoners (aged between 18–30 years), middle-aged prisoners (aged between 31–45 years), and older prisoners (46 years or older). Using registration and reconviction data, the results demonstrate that middle-aged prisoners form the largest group. Furthermore, the results indicate that younger prisoners are more likely to reoffend after release from foreign detention compared to other subgroups.