There are currently 580 inmates in Belgian prisons who have to sleep on a mattress on the floor, a new record according to the latest figures from the prison service.
The situation is most acute in the Northern Region, where there are 332 prisoners sleeping on the floor, spread across ten institutions.
Antwerp has the highest number with 69, followed by Dendermonde (56) and Ghent (40). Hasselt, Ypres, Oudenaarde, Bruges, Turnhout, Mechelen and Leuven-Hulp also have prisoners sleeping on the floor.
In the Southern Region, there are 232 people, with problems mainly in Mons (44, including 8 women), Nivelles (39), Marche (35, including 5 women) and Leuze (34). In Brussels, 16 prisoners sleep on the floor, all in Haren.
The situation is tense, especially given the strike announced for Tuesday and Wednesday. According to the letters of intent received by prison management, minimum staffing levels will not be guaranteed anywhere.
Police officers will have to provide support in almost all institutions to keep operations running safely. The Red Cross will be responsible for distributing food in Saint-Gilles and possibly also in other prisons.
All directors are reiterating their demand for a minimum service system from the first day of a strike. They speak of "irresponsible working" and point to the impact on staff and prisoners.
A total of 13,546 prisoners are currently being held in our country.
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