Prison workers across Belgium initiated another strike on Thursday, intensifying the growing public debate over the chronic failures of the country’s penal system.
The 24-hour industrial action, led by employees at Haren and Saint-Gilles prisons, aimed to draw attention to the persistent issues of inmate overcrowding and severe staff shortages, which have plagued the Belgian prison system for decades.
The latest strike is part of a long-running series of actions by prison staff, who have repeatedly raised alarms about the unsustainable conditions within the system.
Belgium’s prisons are among the most overcrowded in Europe, with inmates often facing substandard living conditions, including widespread issues such as bedbugs, abuse scandals, and a lack of proper medical care.
The staff shortage exacerbates these problems, making it difficult for officers to maintain control or offer rehabilitative programs.
Dorien Brosens, a postdoctoral fellow at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) who specializes in prison reintegration programs, emphasized the challenges faced by both prison staff and inmates.
She explained that while prison workers are deeply committed to improving the system, the lack of adequate personnel makes their efforts nearly impossible.
“The prison system is in huge crisis, and the number of people imprisoned is rising,” Brosens told The Brussels Times. “I am convinced that everyone working inside the prison system wants to do good, but there just aren’t enough staff to make this possible.”
The core issues in Belgium’s prison system — overcrowding and understaffing — have been longstanding. Efforts to address these problems, such as the creation of “detention houses” for prisoners sentenced to less than three years, have had limited success.
While these alternative facilities are designed to ease overcrowding, many prisoners still end up serving their sentences in traditional, overcrowded prisons due to a lack of space in the detention houses.
Despite years of industrial action, conditions inside Belgium’s prisons remain dire, and the strikes have not yielded meaningful improvements.
The strikes, which result in prisoners being confined to their cells for the duration of the action, also have a negative impact on the rehabilitation efforts.
Classes, medical appointments, religious services, and family visits are all canceled during the strike, isolating prisoners and disrupting their reintegration process.
“99% of inmates are released after their sentence, and their social network is so important in this regard,” Brosens added. Belgium’s prison system has also drawn significant international condemnation.
Human rights organizations, including the Council of Europe and Amnesty International, have criticized the country’s failure to provide adequate care, particularly for psychiatric patients in prison.
A 2023 report from Amnesty International highlighted the lack of access to basic services such as medical care and sanitation, exacerbating the suffering of both staff and inmates.
Brosens suggests that one potential solution to the overcrowding and understaffing crisis is the expansion of small-scale detention programs.
She believes that “prison is not the solution for everyone,” and that many offenders could benefit from alternatives that focus on rehabilitation rather than incarceration.
Addressing the ideological gap between punishment and rehabilitation could help reduce repeat offenses and ease the strain on the penal system.
Furthermore, reintegration programs like the “Learning Inside Out” project, which connects inmates with external education opportunities, could be a crucial part of breaking the cycle of incarceration.
“Reintegration is a societal responsibility; no one can do it alone,” Brosens concluded. “Structural problems often lead people to prison, and it’s very challenging for them to break the circle and come out better.”
As Belgium’s prison system faces growing criticism and strikes intensify, the country must urgently find ways to address the systemic failures that are undermining both staff and inmate welfare. Without significant reform, the cycle of overcrowding and under-resourcing will likely continue, further exacerbating the crisis.
