The Ghent prison resumed operations on Wednesday morning following the resolution of a strike that began on Sunday night and concluded after talks with management on Tuesday evening.
However, deeper structural problems persist. On Tuesday, officials recorded 29 inmates still sleeping on the floor due to overcrowding. Unions attribute the dire situation to staff shortages and excessive inmate numbers and express hope for the planned discussion with regional management on Friday.
The issues at Ghent are part of a larger national trend. In the past year alone, Belgium’s prison population increased by 602 inmates, while only 115 new places were added. This imbalance has caused the average overcrowding rate to rise from 12.3% to 16.6%. During the same period, the number of inmates sleeping on the floor jumped from 61 to 222.
Union representatives argue that these figures highlight the urgent need for structural reforms. “The statistics are utterly sobering,” said Robby De Kaey, a union spokesperson.
“While politicians focus on window dressing and promise changes by 2027 or 2028, nothing is being done to address the current crisis. We need measures that take immediate effect, such as early release for well-behaved inmates. Only then can we tackle overcrowding effectively.”
Ghent prison remains among the hardest-hit facilities, facing a severe combination of overcapacity and a significant number of psychiatric detainees, which makes the situation even more challenging to manage.
