Netherlands The Hague

WODC (Research and Data Centre of the Ministry of Justice and Security)

The WODC (Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek- en Datacentrum), the Research and Data Centre of the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security, is the knowledge institute for the rule of law in the Netherlands. Founded in 1973 and based in The Hague, it has been… The WODC (Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek- en Datacentrum), the Research and Data Centre of the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security, is the knowledge institute for the rule of law in the Netherlands. Founded in 1973 and based in The Hague, it has been an independent service within the ministry since September 2019, a status that protects the independence of its research. Its statutory task is to contribute to the preservation and improvement of the rule of law by conducting and commissioning high-quality scientific research and by offering knowledge and directions for improvement. The WODC conducts research on crime and law enforcement, the criminal justice chain, sanctions and rehabilitation, migration and asylum, civil and administrative law, cybersecurity and the functioning of the justice system, and it maintains the statistical monitors and data collections on which Dutch justice policy relies. It serves policymakers at the ministry, parliament and the wider public, and publishes all its reports openly. The WODC recruits researchers with backgrounds in criminology, law, sociology, psychology, economics and data science, from junior to senior level, and offers internships. Vacancies are published on its own site and through the Werken voor Nederland portal.