The current situation in prisons in Belgium is more difficult than during the spring confinement, the Directorate General of Penitentiary Institutions said Tuesday.
"The problems are getting worse," the Directorate General's spokesperson, Kathleen Van De Vijver, told the Belga press agency.
"Leaving prison is more complicated, since it is difficult for detainees to work on their rehabilitation," she said. "The pressure is therefore greater for everyone, and frustrations rise."
The number of coronavirus infections is currently much higher than in the first wave, on the side of inmates as well as guards.
In all Belgian prisons, 174 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus since March 13 and 86 of them were infected at the end of October, according to official figures.
"Since 2 November, all visits have been suspended, permits for outings, and holidays have been abolished," De Vijver said.
The activities are discontinued, the staff are getting sick and since the end of the first lockdown, approximately 700 additional detainees are in prison.
The Brussels Times
