Belgium Criticized Again for Prison Overcrowding and Conditions

Belgium's prison system is once again under severe scrutiny, this time from the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which has expressed "deep concern" over the catastrophic state of its prisons and a continuous rise in the incarcerated population since 2016.

This criticism comes more than a decade after the European Court of Human Rights condemned Belgium for inhumane and degrading treatment due to severe overcrowding. A Romanian inmate's complaint about sleeping on a floor mattress in cramped, unsanitary conditions led to the "Vasilescu ruling" in April 2015. However, a decade later, the situation has reportedly worsened, with nearly 800 inmates currently sleeping on the floor.

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deep concern

The Committee of Ministers, responsible for monitoring compliance with human rights rulings, noted that Belgium's situation remains critical. Despite previous calls for a "global strategy" to combat prison inflation, the committee "regrets" the absence of an ambitious long-term policy to eliminate overcrowding. The number of inmates has surged by over 30% between 2016 (10,500) and 2026 (up to 13,800). Projections suggest this trend could lead to over 18,000 prisoners by 2036 if current policies persist.

While the Belgian government plans to build new prisons and expand capacity, the committee advises against this approach. It urges authorities to "durably reduce" the inmate population, questioning the long-term effectiveness and potential counterproductivity of simply increasing prison space. The committee also points to the abandonment of a previous objective to bring the prison population below 10,000.

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durably reduce