Belgian justice studies prison ship option to tackle overcrowding
Belgium’s justice ministry is examining whether a floating prison for more than 300 inmates could be moored in a Belgian port to ease overcrowding in existing jails, newspaper De Tijd reported on Friday.
The Netherlands already has experience with prison pontoons. One such vessel has previously been used in Ghent during the 2015 asylum crisis to house migrants, though not as a detention centre, and similar use continues today. Federal Justice minister Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) is now looking into whether such a ship could operate in Belgium as a prison for 300 to 350 people.
Private companies have shown interest. A consortium including Belgian security firm Protection Unit has put itself forward to run the facility. Its director, Steven Van Doorne, said a Dutch pontoon could be prepared by the summer.
However, Verlinden stressed that the project is far from approved. Permits would be required, along with onshore security infrastructure such as fences, staff facilities and visitor parking. Guards would also need to be recruited, in a sector already facing shortages. Space for inmates to exercise, fire-safety tests and possibly changes to legislation on the role of private operators would also be needed.
The minister said all options are being examined and nothing is ruled out.
Separately, Flemish Justice minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) said Flanders is willing to help tackle overcrowding by expanding the use of electronic tags for some short-term offenders, but wants clarity on timing, funding and numbers.
Around 1,300 convicted people are currently on a waiting list for prison places. Prime minister Bart De Wever has proposed wider use of ankle bracelets, while Verlinden has suggested sentence reductions. Demir said tagging could form “part of a solution”, but stressed that serious offenders should be excluded and criticised the idea of broad sentence cuts, especially for those convicted of major crimes.
Demir also announced on the radio programme De Ochtend that a pilot project currently running in Antwerp and West Flanders is being expanded. Under the scheme, some convicted young people are given an ankle bracelet instead of being sent to closed institutions. So far, 108 young offenders have taken part, and this number is expected to rise to 300 across Flanders in the near future.
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