The Belgian Prison Service has arranged facility visits to Prison of Beveren, Prison of Hasselt, Prison of Dendermonde, Prison of Haren, Forensic Psychiatric Centre Antwerp, Prison of Leuze-en-Hainaut and Prison of Ittre. For those staying on after the conference you can indicate which facility you would like to visit when registering online for this event, but please note that this is not a booking - you can only sign-up at the venue please note that spaces are limited.
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Prison of Beveren
The visit to prison of Beveren starts at 8.30 am and finishes at 12.30 pm (arrive at Hilton).
The prison of Beveren has a capacity of 322 inmates and accommodates men convicted to prison sentences of 5 years and more (e.g. life-sentence). Inaugurated in 2014, it is one of the more modern Belgian prisons. The use of glass as a main building material as well as the integration of art, colour and several green zones in the prison design provides for a more humane living and work climate. It is built and operated based on a public-private partnership (DBFM agreement).
The prison has a modern star-shaped form and consists of 4 large units, connected partially through glass corridors:
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entrance building
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services building, including courtrooms, visit facilities
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cellular complex with wings offering closed and more open regimes
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logistics and inmates’ workhouse building
The prison cells in Beveren are equipped with a shower and a digital service platform allowing inmates to make phone calls, order products in the prison canteen, make appointments with prison services, which contributes to the independence of the inmate and limits the digital divide. There are also several classrooms, including a teaching kitchen and a computer class, recreational areas as well as in- and outdoor sports facilities, aimed at providing a purposeful detention.
Prison of Beveren
Prison Beveren
Prison of Beveren
Prison of Hasselt
The visit to prison of Hasselt starts at 7.30 am and finishes at 13.30 pm (arrive at Hilton).
Open since 2005, the prison of Hasselt is both a remand prison and a prison for convicts. It has a capacity of 450 inmates and accommodates both men and women, divided over several sections:
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a section for those in custody
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two sections for inmates serving long prison sentences
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a small section for inmates serving short prison sentences
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a separate section housing female inmates
There is also a drug-free section, operating on a separate regime, where male inmates can stay on a voluntary basis. With the help of specialised counsellors, they work intensively on their drug addiction. A recent addition to the prison is a garden that inmates helped design and build. It’s a child friendly garden (e.g. with playground equipment) where inmates can enjoy time with their children.
The prison consists of several buildings, each with its own function (entrance, visit facilities, cellular, workhouses), which are connected by a central corridor. The integration of art and several green zones throughout the prison as well as the creative use of colour and texture contribute to a humane living and work environment.
Prison Hasselt
Prison Hasselt
Prison Hasselt
Prison of Dendermonde
The visit to prison of Dendermonde starts at 8.15 am and finishes at 13.00 pm (arrive at Hilton).
The prison of Dendermonde is the most recent of the Belgian prisons. It opened in March 2023 and replaces the old prison in Dendermonde. It is both a remand prison and a prison for convicts and has a capacity of 444 places for male inmates. It is built and operated based on a public-private partnership (DBFM agreement).
The prison has a modern star-shaped form and consists of 4 large units, connected partially through glass corridors:
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entrance building, including e.g. courtrooms
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services building, including e.g. visiting facilities, classrooms
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cellular complex:
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cells equipped with a shower
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a specific regime per wing
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logistics building, including large workhouses
The use of glass as a main building material as well as the integration of art, colour and several green zones in the prison design provides for a more humane living and work climate.
The new prisons of Dendermonde and Haren are the first Belgian prisons where custodial tasks are carried out by detention counsellors and security officers, new specialised staff roles replacing the sole role of prison officer.
Prison of Dendermonde
Prison of Dendermonde
Prison of Dendermonde
Prison of Haren
The visit to prison of Haren starts at 8.00 am and finishes at 13.00 pm (arrive at Hilton).
Located in the Brussels region, the prison of Haren opened in the fall of 2022. With a capacity of 1190 places, it is the largest prison in Belgium. It is both a remand prison and a prison for convicts and accommodates men and women. There is also mother and baby unit on site as well as a psychiatric section, a medical centre and a secured clinical observation centre.
Consisting of 19 buildings, each with its own function and with mutual interaction, it is more a prison village than a regular prison. There are buildings housing inmates and buildings with communal facilities. Allowing inmates to walk around autonomously on site, in a secure manner, contributes to their independence.
The residential buildings are divided into separate living units where inmates live together in small groups. They are also arranged in such a way as to encourage inmates to do chores similar to those in normal life. The different units allow for a tailored approach and regime, ranging from (more) open to high-security zones. Central buildings with communal facilities are the so-called ‘town hall’ where inmates can go for all kinds of services and activities as well as the entrance building. There are also buildings with workhouses, logistics services, staff canteen, offices for staff, etc.
The new prisons of Haren and Dendermonde are the first Belgian prisons where custodial tasks are carried out by detention counsellors and security officers, new specialised staff roles replacing the sole role of prison officer.
Prison of Haren
Prison of Haren
Prison of Haren
Forensic Psychiatric Centre Antwerp
The visit to the Forensic psychiatric centre in Antwerp (FPC Antwerp) starts at 08.30 am and finishes at 12.30 pm (arrive at Hilton).
The Forensic psychiatric centre in Antwerp (FPC Antwerp) is a treatment centre that admits patients who have committed offences because of a mental disorder but who do not belong in a prison. In the FPC, these patients with high security needs receive tailored care and treatment in a secure setting. The treatment aims to reduce risk factors and recidivism. The ultimate goal is for patients to return to society in a safe and responsible manner, or to transfer to a less secured environment.The FPC Antwerp opened in August 2017 and accommodates at its full capacity 182 patients, both men and women (a maximum of 10% of the beds are reserved for women).
The centre has patients whose primary diagnosis is a psychotic or personality disorder and patients with a mental disability (according to DSM-5). DSM-5 stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition and is a classification system for mental disorders. There is often comorbidity, i.e. multiple disorders at the same time. The primary diagnosis determines the therapeutic environment in which the patient stays at FPC Antwerp.
Forensic Psychiatric Centre Antwerp
Forensic Psychiatric Centre Antwerp
Forensic Psychiatric Centre Antwerp
Prison of Leuze-en-Hainaut
The visit to the prison of Leuze-en-Hainaut starts at 07.00 am and finishes at 14.00 pm (arrive at Hilton).
Inaugurated in May 2014, the prison of Leuze-en-Hainaut is one of the more modern Belgian prisons. It is located in a rural area on a surface of 14 hectares and can accommodate 352 male inmates, including 12 inmates in a community regime. The prison has a modern star-shaped form and consists of several buildings, each with its own function (entrance, visit facilities, cellular,) but connected to each other. The use of glass as a main building material as well as the integration of art, colour and several green zones in the prison design provides for a more humane living and work climate. It is built and operated based on a public-private partnership (DBFM agreement).
A special characteristic of the Leuze prison is a detention regime based on social responsibility. The aim is to provide valorisation of achievements and to encourage inmates to develop new skills in order to better prepare them for their rehabilitation. The prison offers a wide range of training courses (cooking,horticulture, language courses), recreational group activities (cinema, sport, etc.) and various possibilities for work, aimed at providing a purposeful detention. The basic regime consists of a common offer of daily activities for all inmates, following a standard timetable.
The prison cells in Leuze-en-Hainaut are equipped with a shower and a digital service platform allowing inmates to make phone calls, order products in the prison canteen, make appointments with prison services, which contributes to the independence of the inmate and limits the digital divide.
Prison of Leuze-en-Hainaut
Prison of Leuze-en-Hainaut
Prison of Leuze-en-Hainaut
Prison of Ittre
The visit to the prison of Ittre starts at 7.45 am and finishes at 13.15 pm (arrive at Hilton).
Inaugurated in May 2002, the prison of Ittre has a capacity 414 places and accommodates male inmates serving long(er) prison sentences. The prison has a classic star-shaped form and consist of three cellular wings, each with four floors, that give access to a main centre.
The prison operates on a progressive regime divided over several sections:
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two sections with a closed regime
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two sections with an open regime
Since 2016, there is also a special Deradex section for radicalized and proselytized inmates in the prison of Ittre. The main goal of this section is to separate from the rest of the prison population those individuals who are suspected of inciting others to the radical movement and to prevent so-called ‘radical intoxication’.
The prison offers a wide range of training courses (collective cooking, horticulture, UEFA soccer coach training, forklift operator, first aid...), cultural and occupational activities and various possibilities for work and sports, aimed at providing a purposeful detention.
Prison Ittre
Prison Ittre
Prison Ittre
