Detention Houses in Restorative Cities

The Restorative City-concept

A Restorative City encompasses a holistic and integrated, or even circular, approach to justice, which includes both doing justice and undoing injustice, often related to environmental, social, societal, cultural, and economic factors.

The concept is a response to the current social challenges caused by rapid urbanization, environmental degradation, and the need for more sustainable and livable urban spaces. It aligns with a growing awareness of the interconnectedness between the built environment, the well-being of individuals in communities, and (social and criminal) justice.

Restorative Justice Netherlands aims to make the concept of justice in a Restorative City tangible through a detention house. Together with partners across the Netherlands, such as Doorpakkers, experts in forensic care with whom we will collaborate for the Dutch Design Week (DDW) and the European movement RESCALED, we advocate for the replacement of large-scale prisons with detention houses.

Sign up for the restorative city walks and the opening of the exhibition on Monday 21st of October at 16.00: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/restorative-city-walk-tickets-1007384312597

Small-scale detention houses

Maintaining large-scale prisons within a Restorative City implies upholding a system in which some individuals remain excluded from society. Traditional prisons often isolate people from the community, making reintegration after their sentence difficult. Moreover, they do not address the underlying causes of criminal behavior, leading to high recidivism rates. To reduce recidivism, punishment must be personalized, with attention to mental health, housing, employment, personal networks, and financial problems.

Detention houses are small-scale, differentiated, and part of the community. A detention house provides an opportunity to focus on rehabilitation and promoting integration and inclusion. In this way, detention does not mean permanent separation but rather a temporary phase where interaction and connection with the community are maintained.

In addition to the 9,500 regular detention places, the Netherlands offers more than 3,000 alternative detention options. For example, in forensic residential facilities where people can stay during detention, in the final phase of their sentence, as a measure, or as a condition.

The exhibition

The exhibition "Detention Houses in Restorative Cities" presents various small-scale forms of detention from across Europe.

With this exhibition, we aim to showcase inspiring examples of alternative detention. While no perfect examples exist, we strive to promote a neighborhood-focused approach to detention.

During Dutch Design Week, in addition to our permanent exhibition at Doorpakkers, we will host Restorative City-walks. During these walks, we will explore different locations in the city and examine the connection between (in)justice and detention houses.

During the Restorative City-walk, we will share more information about the various aspects of a Restorative City, with a focus on punishment in the form of deprivation of liberty. Want to join a Restorative City walk? Sign up via our instagram!

Sign up for the restorative city walks and the opening of the exhibition on Monday 21st of October at 16.00: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/restorative-city-walk-tickets-1007384312597