Prisons in Belgium are overcrowded

Belgium’s prisons are among the most overcrowded in all of Europe, according to a report by the Council of Europe. The problem is only greater in Italy, Hungary and Cyprus, reports VTM News.

As of 1 September, 2013, there were 134 people incarcerated in Belgium for every 100 places available. Belgium is therefore one of 49 European countries facing the problem of gravely overcrowded prisons. The country with the most crowded prisons is Hungary, with 145 prisoners per 100 available places.

The Council’s report also points out that the number of foreigners in Belgian prisons, 42.9%, is significantly higher than the European average of 23.5%. Belgium’s prisons also score high when it comes to the number of prisoners serving a sentence of 20 years or more: 7%. The EU average is 2.3%.