Belgian Prison Staff Launch Nationwide Strike Over Overcrowding, Violence

(MENAFN) Prison staff across Belgium have begun a nationwide strike to protest worsening conditions in the country’s correctional facilities, including severe overcrowding, rising violence, and increasing workloads.

The industrial action started at 6 a.m. local time after talks between trade unions and the office of Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden failed to produce an agreement on measures to address conditions in the prison system.

Prison directors have reportedly shown unusual public support for the strike, describing the current situation as no longer sustainable. Officials from the prison administration were also expected to visit protest locations in solidarity with staff concerns.

According to reported figures, Belgian prisons are currently housing significantly more inmates than their official capacity, with thousands of prisoners exceeding available space and some forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor.

Unions have warned that staffing shortages, combined with rising incidents of violence inside facilities, are placing increasing pressure on prison workers. They also expressed concern that the situation could worsen during the upcoming summer period.

Authorities have reported a sharp rise in serious incidents in recent years, along with an increase in workplace injuries linked to inmate aggression.

The crisis has also drawn international attention, with European monitoring bodies previously warning that severe overcrowding in prisons across the region risks violating basic human rights standards and could lead to inhumane or degrading conditions if left unaddressed.

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