76 prisoners at De Nieuwe Wandeling prison in Ghent refused to return to their cells on Saturday after the morning walk.
The prisoners were upset as the opportunity to receive visitors was cancelled and televisions were not working, according to the Prison Service.
Police had to be called for support. Kathleen Van De Vijver from the Prison Service stated that Friday evening saw frustration among prisoners due to the television outages.
This was compounded by anger over cancelled visits on Thursday, which resulted from staff action. “This led to 76 prisoners refusing to return to their cells this morning,” said Van De Vijver. “They are seeking assurance on visiting arrangements, which is challenging due to prison overcrowding and staff shortages.”
Police have intervened to return prisoners to their cells. “For prisoners, television is often the only source of distraction,” Van De Vijver added, “when that and visits are unavailable, frustrations can escalate.”
On Friday, unions ACOD, ACV, and VSOA announced strike notice for the Ghent prison, set to begin on Sunday 10 August at 22:00. However, discussions with the unions will take place on Tuesday regarding the situation at De Nieuwe Wandeling.
