Vincent Spronck, the current governor of Saint-Gilles prison, will take over as head of Haren prison on 1 October, replacing Jurgen Van Poecke.
Spronck confirmed the appointment on Wednesday to the newspaper Le Soir. Van Poecke announced his resignation in the spring, citing overcrowding in Belgium’s prisons.
A spokesperson for the prison service, Kathleen Van De Vijver, told BRUZZ that the administrative procedure to appoint Spronck has been completed.
She said the appointment still has to be formalised by royal decree, but if everything proceeds as planned, Spronck will officially start on 1 October.
Spronck is president of the French-speaking association of prison governors. He previously led the prisons of Forest and Mons before moving to Saint-Gilles.
Haren prison, which opened in 2022, is the largest prison in the country, with capacity for 1,129 inmates.
According to the latest figures, however, it is currently holding more than 1,400 prisoners.
