Deteriorating prison conditions in Belgium risk exposing people to inhuman treatment

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The number of prisoners sleeping on mattresses on the ground has more than doubled in the last 14 months

Serious problems in Belgium's prisons risk exposing people to inhuman and degrading treatment, whilst also undermining the broader criminal justice system in the country, according to the Council of Europe's anti-torture committee.

The Committee for the prevention of torture (CPT) has today published a new report following its visit to Belgium from 15 to 26 May 2025. The committee visited five prisons in Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia, as well as the forensic-psychiatric centres in Antwerp and Ghent.

Prison conditions risk undermining criminal-justice system

CPT President Alan Mitchell said: "The nefarious consequences of prison overcrowding are getting worse. In the 14 months since the CPT's last visit, the prison population has risen by nearly 4% and the number of people sleeping on a mattress on the floor has more than doubled. The deteriorating prison conditions in Belgium not only might expose people in prison to inhuman and degrading treatment but they also risk undermining the wider criminal-justice system."

Despite measures to tackle prison overcrowding in Belgium, the CPT notes that the prison population continues to rise. More prisoners and internees were forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor, and many had less than 4 sq. m of personal space. This longstanding structural issue has negatively affected both detainees and prison staff, resulting in worsening conditions of detention and working conditions, increased tensions and serious issues in accessing individualised healthcare and psychosocial services, among other things.

The committee reports that, due to understaffing, the legally required level of minimum service was rarely guaranteed during days of industrial action and was often unattainable even under ordinary conditions. Prisoners were frequently faced with long waiting times and cancellations preventing them from attending medical consultations, court hearings or participating in activities.

Overcrowding hampering eventual reintegration after release

The limited staffing also adversely affected the quality and range of activities available to prisoners, reduced opportunities for the development of positive staff-prisoner relations and negatively affected preparations for inmates' reintegration into the community, as well as generally contributing to an insecure environment for both prisoners and staff.

While several prisoners and patients spoke with respect about staff, the CPT was also struck by the increased number of allegations of physical ill-treatment and verbal abuse - including by police operating in prisons - that it had received during its latest visit. Inter-prisoner and inter-patient violence was a problem in all of the establishments visited, except for prison units holding women, with prisoners sometimes refusing to leave their cells for fear of violence.

Issues in healthcare provision in detention

Furthermore, the CPT observed several deficiencies regarding the provision of healthcare, notably related to addiction and psychiatry, where staff shortages and a lack of proper coordination between healthcare services effectively rendered adequate care impossible.

The CPT once again reiterated that detainees with severe mental-health disorders should not be kept in a standard prison setting but should be immediately referred to a civil psychiatric hospital or a dedicated psychiatric facility within the prison system. Further efforts are also needed to ensure adequate safeguards and effective complaints mechanisms in forensic-psychiatric centres.

Today's report has been published together with the response of the Belgian authorities.

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The European Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CPT) visits places of detention in the states parties to the European Convention for the prevention of torture to assess how persons deprived of their liberty are treated with a view to strengthening, if necessary, the protection of such persons from torture and from inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. These places include prisons, detention centres for children, police stations, immigration detention centres, psychiatric hospitals, and social care homes. After each visit, the CPT transmits a report containing its findings and recommendations to the government concerned.

Read the report on prison conditions in Belgium in full

Read the response of the Belgian authorities (french only)

The CPT and Belgium