Penitentiary Principles Act (Penitentiaire beginselenwet) | Juvenile prisoners are detained in special youth custodial institutions. Juveniles aged 12 to 17 who commit an offence are penalised under juvenile criminal law. The court may also apply juvenile criminal law to adults aged 18 to 22 years because on 1 April 2014 an act amending the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Proceedings took effect which extended the upper age limit for sentencing a young adult under juvenile criminal law to 22 years. When minors of 16 or 17 years old are sentenced by adult criminal law, they will be detained in a Youth Custodial Institution as long as they are still a minor. |