There are roughly 500,000 people incarcerated in the European Union, equivalent to over 100 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants, and one country in particular is struggling to deal with this number.
Belgium’s prisons are bursting at the seams, with overcrowding reaching critical levels despite recent efforts to alleviate the issue.
In the past few months, initiatives have been somewhat effective, yet the number of inmates has hit an all-time high, prompting authorities to consider more drastic actions.
Even with the inauguration of new facilities and temporary measures to cut inmate time, such as sentence reduction schemes, the Belgian prison system still grapples with a severe space shortage.
“The pressure remains very high, and the situation is worrying,” said Mathilde Steenbergen, the Director General of the Prison Service, in a confidential communication to her colleagues, as reported by Het Nieuwsblad.
The latest statistics reveal a staggering 12,575 individuals behind bars, significantly exceeding the capacity for only 11,020, forcing 118 prisoners to endure sleeping on the floor.
This number would be even greater if not for implementing bunk beds by the Prison Service.
The unprecedented spike in the prison population stems from the previous government’s policy to enforce all sentences, no matter how brief, coupled with an increase in the number of internees, long-term convicts, and pre-trial detainees.
Steenbergen unveiled a new measure that, until November 12, will make prisons off-limits to individuals sentenced to less than five years.
Only those found guilty of severe crimes such as sex offences, intrafamily violence, terrorism, and individuals posing an immediate threat to society or their victims will be incarcerated.
Undocumented prisoners can also secure early release within six months of completing their sentence, provided the Immigration Services (DVZ) can issue a departure order within five days.
Prisoners will also be more evenly distributed across prisons, specifically, and locked institutions in Kortrijk and Forest will be fully utilised.
Looking ahead, a study is underway to explore the feasibility of implementing a population cap for prisons, which must not be exceeded. Each prison’s capacity would be categorised into three phases: green, orange and red.
The red phase would signify critical overcrowding and indicate that steps are required to decrease intake and increase outflow from the affected prison.
If these measures prove ineffective, prisoner intake will be suspended at the prison in question, and convicted individuals will be placed on a waiting list. They will only be admitted into the system once a prison bed becomes available.
