Around 100 prison staff have already volunteered to test the new Antwerp prison by spending a weekend acting as inmates ahead of its official opening, the Belgian prison administration said on Friday.
An application form was circulated on Wednesday, inviting staff from the Directorate-General for Penitentiary Institutions (DG EPI) to "test procedures and processes on a large scale" and "take on the role of an inmate during a trial weekend" on 5 and 6 September at the new Antwerp prison, which is due to open in November. According to spokeswoman Kathleen Van De Vijver, registrations poured in within minutes.
The administration is seeking around 125 volunteers for the first trial weekend, which is reserved for prison staff. A second test weekend will later be organised for other groups, including members of the judiciary.
Similar exercises were held before the opening of Beveren prison in 2014 and Haren prison, Van De Vijver noted. She described the initiative as a valuable test that also responds to strong interest from prison staff who want to experience life inside a prison by spending two days in individual cells. The Federal Public Service (FPS) Justice said participants have the opportunity to take part in a "positive experience".
For the future prison's management, the simulation will also provide an opportunity to further assess the facility's internal procedures, including movements between cells and the exercise yard, the organisation of visits, and other operational processes that are already being tested daily.
The prison administration also said it was surprised by criticism of the initiative. On Friday, PTB MP Julien Ribaudo told SudInfo he was concerned that volunteers would receive no pay, compensation or reimbursement of expenses despite temporarily taking on the role of inmates.
