Union issues formal warning as Belgian prison overcrowding persists
Belgium’s ACOD union has formally put the prison service on notice over what it calls “structural and dangerous” overcrowding. It cites 552 inmates now sleeping on mattresses on the floor.
In a letter signed by prison staff, the union says parts of the Prison Act can no longer be respected and warns that current conditions risk breaching Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which bans inhuman or degrading treatment.
The number of inmates sleeping on the floor remains critically high, even if the sharp rise of recent weeks appears to be slowing. Experts caution it is far too early to speak of a turnaround.
In Flanders, 313 people are sleeping on the floor across 10 prisons, including Antwerp, Dendermonde, Hasselt, Ghent, Ypres and Oudenaarde. In Wallonia, there are 226, with the highest numbers in Mons, Leuze, Marche, Nivelles and Tournai. Thirteen inmates in Brussels are sleeping on the floor in Haren, despite the fact that 43 extra beds were recently added.
ACOD says the crisis endangers both inmates’ rights and staff safety. It says that personnel continue to work “under instruction” but cannot uphold the law in current conditions. It argues the problems are structural and long-standing, and that the government must take responsibility.
Union representatives will meet the prison service leadership on Tuesday afternoon. ACOD says it expects concrete measures to protect both staff and detainees.
Mechelen prison © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS
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