I recall reading, a few months ago, about the Dutch prison system and how well it performed in comparison with the British system.
One point that was made was recidivism. It is almost unknown in the Netherlands whereas it is a significant contribution to prison occupation in the UK. This is because considerable effort is made in the Dutch system to educate, counsel and train prisoners so that when they re-enter the outside world they can do so with a different set of values and skills and make positive contributions to society.