Country | Belgium |
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Ministry responsible |
Ministere de la Justice
|
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Prison administration |
Direction General de l'Administration Penitentiaire
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Contact address |
SPF Justice, Administration centrale prisons, Avenue de la Toison d’Or 87/3, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgique
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Telephone |
+32 2 542 7748
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Fax |
+32 2 542 7784
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Website | |
info.epi@just.fgov.be
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Head of prison administration (and title) | Rudy Van De Voorde
Director General
|
Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners) | 12 575
at October 2024 (Ministry of Justice)
|
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Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population) | 106
based on an estimated national population of 11.90 million at October 2024 (from Eurostat figures)
|
Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population) | 36.2%
(31.1.2023)
|
Female prisoners (percentage of prison population) | 4.5%
(31.1.2023)
|
Juveniles / minors / young prisoners incl. definition (percentage of prison population) | 0.0%
(31.1.2023 - under 18)
|
Foreign prisoners (percentage of prison population) | 41.5%
(31.1.2023)
|
Number of establishments / institutions | 35
(2020)
|
Official capacity of prison system | 11 020
(October 2024)
|
Occupancy level (based on official capacity) | 114.1%
(October 2024)
|
Prison population trend (year, prison population total, prison population rate) |
|
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Belgium grants prisoners 'leave' to curb overcrowding
Justice ministry paid out €250,000 in compensation for remand in 2019
Calls to end systematic strip searches in Belgian prisons
No improvement in prison detention conditions despite international condemnation
Number of people subject to electronic tagging down in 2016
Pages
European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) visit reports: Belgium
US State Department Human Rights Country Report 2013: Belgium
Judicial systems in Member States - Belgium
Politique pénitentiaire et droits des détenus en Belgique
Observatoire international des Prisons
- Pre-trial/remand prison population: trend
- Female prison population: trend
- Prison population trend up to 2000
Pre-trial/remand prison population: trend
The table below gives an indication of the recent trend in the pre-trial/remand prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.
It consists of the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that pre-trial/remand prisoners constituted on that day.
The final column shows the pre-trial/remand population rate per 100,000 of the national population.
BELGIUM
Year | Number in | Percentage | Pre-trial/remand |
2000 | 3,023 | 34.8% | 30 |
2023 | 4,049 | 36.2% | 34 |
It should be noted that the number of pre-trial/remand prisoners fluctuates from day to day, month to month and year to year. Consequently the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.
The pre-trial/remand population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.
Female prison population: trend
The table below gives an indication of the trend in the female prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.
It consists of the number of female prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that female prisoners constituted on that day.
The final column shows the female prison population rate per 100,000 of the national population.
BELGIUM
Year | Number of | Percentage | Female prison |
2000 | 358 | 4.1% | 3.5 |
2023 | 499 | 4.5% | 4.2 |
The number of female prisoners fluctuates and so the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.
The female prison population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.
(If the rate were calculated on the basis of the number of females in the national population it would of course be approximately double the figure in the final column).
Prison population trend up to 2000
The figures below give an indication of the prison population trend in the years up to 2000. They supplement the more recent figures that are shown at the foot of the Overview page and in the graphs below.
BELGIUM
Year |
Prison |
Prison population rate |
1935 |
5,046 |
61 |