The number of new TBS patients fell to 118 last year, down from 164 the year before. Despite this decline, Dutch forensic psychiatric clinics continue to operate at full capacity, TBS Nederland reports in its new annual overview.
TBS Nederland says many patients cannot move on to regular mental health services or facilities for people with intellectual disabilities. Because they cannot transfer, they remain in high‑security forensic clinics longer than necessary.
This limited outflow also affects people in prison who are waiting for a place in a forensic psychiatric clinic. Their waiting lists continue to grow, which increases pressure on safety inside those institutions.
The average duration of TBS treatment rose again in 2025. It reached 10.1 years, compared with 8.7 years the year before. According to TBS Nederland, the longer treatment period also stems from the difficulty of transferring patients to other care facilities.
Last year, an average of 1,683 people were in a TBS trajectory. A total of 69 patients received a conditional termination of their TBS measure.
@ANP | News Brainport
