New Public Management in the Dutch criminal justice chain: The effects of stratification and automation in out-of-court proceedings

Abstract

New Public Management has significantly affected the Dutch Public Prosecutor’s Service (PPS) particularly with regard to processing frequently occurring crimes. This chapter focusses on the two divisions of the PPS that handle these cases: ZSM (processing mostly minor crimes) and CVOM (processing mostly infractions). The chapter presents a case study of how NPM affects the criminal justice system by revealing the way that the PPS handles misdemeanours. It is argued that managerialism and stratification changed the work processes and division of work within the PPS by inter alia delegating work to prosecutorial assistants and increasingly automated decision-making. However, the seemingly strict protocols and procedures leave discretionary room for the front-line workers to make tailored decisions. At the same time, it is unclear how they apply this discretion. There is little if any available information on how the ZSM and CVOM divisions work in practice. The chapter concludes that, as a result of these processes, professional values, the rule of law and individual accountability are possibly under pressure.