Since a fire at Lantin Prison that killed one firefighter and ravaged a building, tensions at the facility have been running high. But the problem is nothing new and speaks to a long-standing crisis throughout the Belgian penal system.
On the afternoon of Sunday 29 May, a fire broke out in the laundry room of Lantin Prison, on the outskirts of Liège. Firefighters were dispatched and were able to save three people from the flames, but not without incurring their own losses: the firefighter Maxime Coessens did not survive the operation and his colleague Marc Sarlet was in a coma for days afterwards.
The exact cause of the fire has not been identified and the incident is currently under review.
Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) at the funeral of Maxime Coessens at Saint Paul's Cathedral in Liège on Thursday 5 June 2025. Credit: Belga / Bruno Fahy
The damage caused on 29 May only worsened an already dire living situation for the inmates, as the canteen, food provisions, hygiene supplies and other essential materials were destroyed. Prisoners had already been suffering from overcrowding and a lack of space (1,060 people in a facility designed for 744).
Frustrations peaked on Saturday 19 July, when almost 50 prisoners refused to return to their cells after recreational time outside. Three of them were persuaded to abandon the demonstration but the rest of the group slept outside overnight, protesting against their detention conditions and demanding more access to showers, meals and improved resources.
But "The prisoners' requests are materially impossible to meet given the overcrowding in the prison," according to the prison administration. On Sunday, federal police intervened to bring the action to an end.
International condemnation
The current difficulties at Lantin are one link in a chain of incidents that have occurred across Belgian facilities in recent years. Strikes led by trade unions are a regular occurence. During these periods, the army is called in to beef up numbers and prisoners' movements become even more restricted.
The entire penal system is plagued by two main issues: overcrowding and understaffing.
Last June, a Council of Europe (CoE) report ranked the Belgian prison system as the fourth most overcrowded in Europe behind Cyprus (first), Romania (second) and France (third). CoE is the largest human rights body in Europe and is not affiliated with the EU.
In March, Belgium hit a new milestone: there are now over 13,000 inmates in a penal system designed for just 11,000. As part of an emergency plan to tackle these untenable numbers, hundreds of prisoners have been released early, courts increasingly opt for community service and e-bracelets over prison time and release conditions for shorter sentences have been relaxed (except for people convicted of terrorism or sexual offences).
Chronic staff shortages do nothing to relieve the pressure. Last year, The Brussels Times spoke to Dorien Brosens, a postdoctoral fellow at VUB, who said "I am convinced that everyone who is working inside the prison system wants to do good but there just aren't enough staff to make this possible."
Union protest at Lantin prison in 2016. Credit: Belga / Sophie Kip
As for Lantin Prison, Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) outlined several short-term and long-term measures to improve conditions when questioned by Socialist Party MP Frédéric Daerden in Federal Parliament on Wednesday 16 July.
Daerden described the situation in Lantin as "yards closed due to a lack of staff, reduced or even non-existent access to showers, meals distributed at irregular times, sometimes at inconsistent hours, the suspension of the canteen, exacerbating the precariousness of the inmates and a general feeling of insecurity among both inmates and workers."
Verlinden said that in the short-term, laundry has been donated by other prisons, cleaning services have been provided, another room is being used as a temporary canteen, the prison has received a van for internal food distribution and new hygiene kits, while visiting rooms and vending machines are still supplied with snacks "although the choice is currently more limited".
The Minister conceded that "It is not surprising that conflicts and incidents arise more quickly in an overcrowded environment" and promised "concrete action" by autumn, including investment in structural solutions and the continuation of action plans to combat violent behaviour from prisoners.
