Belgium's prison system is mired in crisis, with overcrowding and understaffing affecting every one of the country's institutions. A journey through the history of Saint-Gilles prison suggests that ideology is to blame.
A crowd of people stomped their feet to keep warm as they walked around the walls of Saint-Gilles prison one chilly November morning.
"When you think of prison, which words come to mind?" UCLouvain historian Xavier Rousseaux asked the entourage, who were braving the cold to attend a guided tour around the prison walls. "Violence," "sadness," "isolation" and "suffering" were the responses. "Failure," quipped a member of the non-profit association 9 m2, which advocates for human rights in detention (the non-profit's name refers to the size of a Belgian prison cell).
Saint-Gilles prison from above. Credit: Inventory of architectural heritage
How did the prison system come to be viewed so negatively? The past and present of Saint-Gilles prison gives us an idea. Inaugurated in 1884 and hailed as a "modern prison" at the time, the impressive establishment was built to resemble a palace and forms one of three points on a triangle along with the Palais de Justice and Brussels-Midi train station.
"The palace-like architecture was supposed to instil the Belgian State with an identity of glory, as it was only founded in 1830 and did not own any old buildings," Rousseaux explained. "The prison is directly opposite the Palais de Justice to show that punishment and justice are at the heart of this city."
Religious reform
Penal prison came into being following the Age of Enlightenment, when there was a desire to "rationalise" punishment. "We couldn't just keep beheading people," Rousseaux told his enraptured audience.
This is where the system of locking people up after committing a crime was born. "The role of religion was central and the aim was to eradicate crime through moral education," the historian continued.
Credit: Belga / History of prisons blog
Édouard Ducpétiaux was appointed Inspector-General of Belgian prisons shortly after the State's foundation. A former revolutionary and prisoner himself, Ducpétiaux's 'Master Plan' was based on humane detention and moral reform.
Saint-Gilles prison was one of the first institutions espousing these principles to open in Brussels in 1884. The prisoners were to practise silence in "monastery-like" conditions and even wore capuchons belges (Belgian hoods) to prevent "contamination" amongst themselves.
However, "history shows us that the plan did not translate to reality," says Rousseaux. The policy of silence was an instant failure and repeat offenders were a problem from the very beginning. Overcrowding in the late 20th century led to the opening of Forest prison in 1910.
Crisis almost 200 years later
Repeat offenses and overcrowding have only become worse since then. A 2023 Amnesty International report criticises the Belgian prison system for "insufficient access to basic services – especially medical care and sanitation." Belgian prisons are among the most overcrowded in Europe, peaking at over 12,000 in January. Abuse incidents are rife, detainees sleep on mattresses on the floor and the State is desperately seeking new recruits to handle a steady flow of new inmates.
Scientific practises have replaced the emphasis on religion, but 9 m2 argues that the fault lines of Ducpétiaux's 'Master Plan' have not faded away. In addition, the logic of expansion overtakes any attempt to render the system more humane.
"The bigger the system, the more dehumanising it is," says PhD student of anthropology at UCLouvain Delphine Pouppez. She pointed to the opening of Haren prison as a case in point of how far off the mark Belgium is in attempts to improve the system.
Haren is called a "penitentiary village" rather than a prison. It opened in 2022 with the intention of transferring inmates from Saint-Gilles, Forest and Berkendael to the centre. Presented as a "solution" to overcrowding and the accompanying issues, the project has been a disaster.
Former Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne (CD&V) at the inauguration of Haren prison in 2022. Credit: Belga / James Arthur Gekiere
"There have been three assaults on prison officers, one suicide attempt, three deaths and two cell fires," the Haren Observatory and the Public Services for Prisons (CSC) stated in April. "The situation here is catastrophic, and the prison hasn't even fully opened yet."
Over in Saint-Gilles, around 900 inmates continue to occupy a site intended for 515 people and "the conditions are worse than they are in Haren," according to 9 m2.
The organisation is supposed to be opening a museum dedicated to prisons in the former Forest facility, but the delayed transfers are holding things up.
"There is a will to transform prisons but it is heading straight for disaster," said Pouppez. "Haren again shows the limits of a model when it is applied to reality."
