“Crime-infested drug haven” Netherlands forced to close empty prisons

If this amusing report isn’t one to send the Drug Warriors digging for yet more excuses:

For years prohibitionists, including our own Drug Enforcement Administration, have claimed — falsely — that the tolerant marijuana policies of the Netherlands have made that nation a nest of crime and drug abuse. They may have trouble wrapping their little brains around this:

The Dutch government is getting ready to close eight prisons because they don’t have enough criminals to fill them. Officials attribute the shortage of prisoners to a declining crime rate.

Just for fun, let’s compare the Netherlands to California. With a population of 16.6 million, the Dutch prison population is about 12,000. With its population of 36.7 million, California should have a bit more than double the Dutch prison population. California’s actual prison population is 171,000 ^{[PDF, 67.47 KB]}.

So, whose drug policies are keeping the streets safer?

I think the answer to that is becoming increasingly clear, especially given the increasing levels of desperation the prohibitionist US government is displaying when demonizing these drugs.

(via @todayspolitics)