There were sporadic incidents of rightwing and racist violence against religious and ethnic minorities (see Sections 2.c. and 5).

Prison conditions in the country generally met international standards. Male and female prisoners were held separately. In addition, juvenile prisoners were held separately from adults, and pretrial detainees were held separately from convicted criminals.

The Government permitted visits by independent human rights observers. The Council of Europe (COE) visited local prisons in February 2002 and the European Court for Human Rights in February. Both recommended changes at the maximum-security facility in Vught, which were implemented in line with the Court's ruling. The Court ruled that in one particular case, the combination of routine strip searches with other stringent security measures at the prison amounted to inhuman or degrading treatment.

The Government of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba made numerous improvements to prisons in staffing and capacity to address previous concerns by the COE's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Prison activities, health care, and amenities expanded, which lessened inmate tensions. Prisoners also are eligible for early release. Both Governments took steps to alleviate overcrowding. Aruba's KIA prison expanded from 250 to 300 places, Curacao added an additional 146 places, the Government Juvenile Institute added an additional 30 spaces, and the Rio Canario police detention facility, used primarily for narcotics offenders, added an additional 20 cells. Staffing on the island of Curacao also increased as 28 new prison guards were trained. Despite these improvements, problems remained. The police detention facility in St. Maarten remained the subject of frequent complaints concerning inadequate facilities and supplies. Because St. Maarten's Pointe Blanche prison was at capacity, detainees were held longer at the inadequate police detention facility than the 10 days permitted. Likewise, the two police detention facilities in Aruba received complaints related to overcrowding and irregular supply of basic provisions for detainees' comfort. The Kingdom continued to provide assistance to improve prison conditions and management. In September, it announced an exchange program between the KIA prison director and a counterpart in the Netherlands.

The Governments of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba allowed access by independent human rights observers to prisons; however, no such visits occurred during the year.