Record number of prisoners sleeping on floors in Belgium

Belgium’s prisons are facing unprecedented overcrowding. 580 inmates currently sleeping on mattresses on the floor. That is the highest number ever recorded, according to new figures from the prison service. The country now holds a total of 13,546 detainees.

The problem is most acute in the Northern Region, where 332 floor-sleepers are spread across ten facilities. Antwerp reports the highest number (69), followed by Dendermonde (56) and Ghent (40). Prisons in Hasselt, Ypres, Oudenaarde, Bruges, Turnhout, Mechelen and Leuven-Hulp are also affected.

In the Southern Region, 232 inmates are sleeping on the floor, with notable concentrations in Mons (44, including eight women), Nivelles (39), Marche (35, including five women) and Leuze (34). In Brussels, 16 detainees are affected, all in Haren.

The situation comes amid mounting tension ahead of a strike planned for Tuesday and Wednesday. Prison directors warn that minimum staffing levels cannot be guaranteed, prompting police deployment to maintain safety in nearly all institutions. The Red Cross will handle meal distribution in Sint-Gillis and may be called upon elsewhere.

Directors are once again urging the introduction of a minimum-service requirement from the first day of any strike. They are calling current conditions “irresponsible” for both staff and inmates.

^{© BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}