Staff and management at all Belgian prisons will take exceptional action in front of prison buildings on Thursday, 2 October, as announced by the socialist union ACOD/CGSP and confirmed by the prison administration.
The action is set to take place for two hours, between 12:30 and 14:30. "The prison crisis is unprecedented and prisons are sounding the alarm," said the prison administration, pointing to the problem of prison overcrowding.
Management is drawing attention to the rapid change in numbers. Since 22 September, the total number of prisoners has increased by 18. In Dutch-speaking prisons, there has been a decrease of 6 prisoners, but French-speaking and Brussels prisons have each recorded 12 additional prisoners.
The phenomenon of prisoners sleeping on the floor due to the lack of beds continues to worsen. In one week, 27 additional cases were recorded, bringing the total to 353. According to the prison administration, this figure illustrates the seriousness of the situation and justifies the joint call for action.
The prison directors will come out together with their staff, without flags or banners, but in their everyday work clothes. They will be visibly present in front of the prison gates and in the car parks and will speak to the press.
The aim is to underline the seriousness of the crisis and send a strong signal to the government.
The trade unions support the call and are encouraging their members to join them outside. According to ACOD, this initiative by the administration itself shows how deep the prison crisis has become and that the usual consultation and emergency measures are no longer sufficient.
Previous interventions, such as extended prison leave, the emergency law and consultation with the cabinet, have not reduced the figures. The action is taking place simultaneously in all prisons across the country.
Related News
- Former Brussels prison reopens as public meeting space
- 30 more Belgian inmates denied beds than last week
- Belgium creates specialised commission to tackle prison overcrowding
- Belgium to spend over €1 billion on increasing prison capacity
- A fire, a death and a protest: What's behind the unrest at Lantin Prison?
