Belgium Considers Floating Prison to Tackle Overcrowding Crisis
Belgium is exploring the controversial option of housing prisoners on a floating pontoon in one of its ports, a move intended to alleviate severe overcrowding in the nation’s existing correctional facilities. The Ministry of Justice is currently assessing the feasibility of mooring a vessel capable of accommodating over 300 detainees.
The proposal, first reported by De Tijd / L’Echo on Friday, comes as the country grapples with a persistent shortage of prison capacity. According to officials, the idea is to remedy overcrowding in existing penitentiary establishments. The Netherlands has prior experience with similar structures, and this precedent is informing Belgium’s investigation.
Since the 2015 refugee crisis, Dutch pontoons have been utilized to house migrants in Ghent, though these accommodations did not involve detention. Currently, one such pontoon remains in use for this purpose. Federal Minister of Justice Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) is now evaluating whether Belgium can adapt this model to function as a secure prison for between 300 and 350 individuals.
The private sector has already expressed interest in the project. A consortium led by Protection Unit, a Belgian surveillance company, has submitted an application to operate the potential floating prison. Steven Van Doorne, a director at Protection Unit, suggested that a Dutch pontoon could be operational as early as this summer.
However, Verlinden cautioned that the Ministry of Justice has not yet deemed the project viable. “Many steps are necessary to transform this floating infrastructure into an operational prison,” she stated. These steps include securing the necessary permissions and constructing supporting infrastructure on land, such as fencing, staff facilities, and visitor parking.
A significant challenge lies in the current labor shortage affecting the security profession. Recruiting and training sufficient guards will be crucial. Furthermore, the plan requires ensuring a safe outdoor space for prisoners and rigorous fire safety testing of the pontoon structure. Legal frameworks may also need revision to clarify the division of responsibilities between public authorities and private companies in prison management.
Despite these hurdles, Verlinden emphasized a commitment to exploring all potential solutions. “All possibilities – including a detention boat – are being examined thoroughly and nothing is excluded,” she affirmed.
The Netherlands
Ghent (East Flanders)
Annelies Verlinden
The exploration of this unconventional solution underscores the urgency of the prison overcrowding issue in Belgium and the willingness of authorities to consider innovative, albeit challenging, approaches to address it.
