147 inmates sleeping on floor as Haren prison overcrowding persists

The number of prisoners forced to sleep on the floor at Haren prison has reached a new record of 147 inmates, as overcrowding issues continue to plague Belgian prisons.

Public sector union ACOD and the Federal Prison Service are once again sounding the alarm as the number of inmates in Brussels prisons continues to rise significantly, although it has fallen slightly in the other regions.

In mid-February, the number of so-called "floor sleepers" exceeded 100 for the first time. A month later, the figure had already risen to 147, making Haren the prison with the highest number of floor sleepers in all of Belgium, followed by Antwerp (64), Ghent (47) and Marche-en-Famenne (37).

The latest figures show a total of 635 prisoners currently sleeping on the floor of their cell across all Belgian prisons, bringing the number close once again to the record of 672 set on 15 December 2025.

Prison workers say the measures put in place to quell overcrowding simply are not working.

“Since the introduction of the emergency prison law, the number of prisoners has increased by more than three times the number of extra beds that have been provided,” said Robby De Kaey of ACOD.

Since the introduction of that emergency law on 1 August, 621 prisoners have been added to Belgian prisons. During the same period, total capacity increased by just 198 beds, from 10,844 to 11,042 places.

The number of inmates sleeping on the floor also rose sharply during that period. On 1 August 2025, 241 inmates were sleeping on the floor, compared to 644 today.

“The number of people sleeping on the floor is once again approaching last year’s record level,” said De Kaey.

According to the Prison Service, the combination of a growing staff shortages and planned staff cuts forms a “particularly dangerous cocktail” that is putting the quality, safety and workability of the service under serious pressure.

Last week in Haren, a prisoner attacked three officers with a razor blade. The three have been unable to work for some time following the incident.

The Prison Service said it recognised the efforts to create extra capacity, but emphasised that these are not sufficient to address the acute problems.

“We recognise and appreciate the steps that have already been taken, but concrete help is now also needed to cope with this exceptional pressure,” it said, calling on “the competent authorities” to “take urgent measures”.

The pressure is continuing to mount in the short term, particularly in Brussels, where 114 inmates have been added since December last year, whilst that number has fallen slightly in Flanders (by 79) and Wallonia (by 12).

The current overcrowding is “totally irresponsible and can no longer be ignored”, the Prison Service said.

As part of the fight against prison overcrowding, one measure involves giving prisoners sentenced to up to 18 months’ imprisonment an ankle monitor instead of time in jail.

The measure applies both to those already in prison and to those yet to begin their sentence. It will also apply to the so-called "backlog" of convicted offenders, concerning those awaiting sentencing following a directive issued by the previous government in pending cases, under which only those sentenced to more than five years were required to go to prison immediately.

Prisoners sentenced to up to 10 years will also be able to be released one and a half years early if they wear an ankle monitor.

People convicted of sexual offences, terrorism or drug trafficking are not eligible for electronic monitoring.

Last year’s emergency law will also be extended to help address the overcrowding issue, according to federal justice minister Annelies Verlinden (CD&V), albeit under different conditions.

The conditions for a six-month reduction in sentence are being tightened. Whereas such a reduction was previously possible for sentences of up to 10 years, it will now only be possible for sentences of up to three years.

The precise impact of these measures is still unclear but sources within the Verlinden cabinet suggest that while the minister would have liked to see a more ambitious approach, "this is what is possible within the current government".’

Sources also said that the compromise contains no new ideas or miraculous solutions, but rather only "what is feasible for the entire government".

“I never said that the floor sleepers would disappear completely,” Verlinden said.

“Nevertheless, we have made the most of it. For the first time, there is a measure on the table that is not a one-off and offers a long-term vision.”

Discussions on the issue of overcrowding in prisons had been stalled, along with talks on military patrols on the streets and the entry into force of the new Criminal Code, as prime minister Bart De Wever (N-VA), minister Verlinden and deputy prime minister David Clarinval (MR) worked to reach an agreement.