The 24-hour strike at Antwerp prison was well supported, the Christian union ACV/CSC commented after the action ended at 10 p.m. on Friday, paving the way for work to resume as normal at the penitentiary.
“Only around twenty members of staff worked in the last 24 hours,” union delegate Bjorn Achten explained. The prison employs some 270 staffers.
All inmates had to stay in their cells. It was not possible for them to receive visitors, go to the yard or take a shower. Only meals and medical consultations were provided.
Around 15 police officers were called in as reinforcements, according to Justice Department.
At the end of July, a member of staff who organises activities with inmates was attacked by an internee, who allegedly bit him. A total of three people were injured, including two guards.
“After the incident, the person was moved for a while, but this is not a solution,” Achten noted. “There are no sanctions for this type of assault.”
The Justice Department says training is planned to enable staff to better deal with problem cases. However, training will not solve the problem of aggression, the unions counter.
“Normal prisoners can also suddenly turn violent," they noted. "Prison guards are not the only ones to suffer. Police officers and firefighters are also more frequently the victims of violence. The federal government does not seem to have the situation under control.”
According to the Christian union, there used to be one or two incidents of this kind a year. Today, aggression against staff is said to be more of a monthly phenomenon.
The most recent incident also proves once again that internees, inmates with mental disorders, have no place in a prison, staff representatives stress.
The staff defence organisations are calling on management to apply the procedures correctly.
“At present, no additional measures are being taken. Problematic cases are passed from prison to psychiatry and vice versa,” Mr. Achten said.
