Belgium: 55 judges become prisoners in prisons for 2 days

55 judges in Belgium chose to spend a… special weekend.

They were voluntarily locked up in a prison in the Brussels district to see for two days and one night what the life of a prisoner is like, as stated in a statement by the Minister of Justice of Belgium, Vincent van Quinkenborn.

The judges arrived this morning at 9 local time at the new Haren prison, which can accommodate 1,190 inmates and is scheduled to open its doors on September 30.

The judges will have the same treatment as the prisoners until the end of the “experiment” tomorrow at 16:00.

“Judges obviously know what it’s like inside a prison but getting the experience themselves provides them with a unique opportunity, which could help them impose sentences with full awareness,” the minister continued.

No cell phones and on regular inmate schedule

They will follow the prisoners’ daily schedule, will not be allowed to use their mobile phones, will follow the same diet and have the same responsibilities as the prisoners. Among other things, they will be employed in the kitchen and laundries, as emphasized in the announcement.

If forced or for any other reason, the judges will be able to stop the experiment at any time.

“This will undoubtedly help them think about whether deprivation of liberty is the best solution for someone who has made a mistake in their life,” the minister said.

In addition, it is also a good “rehearsal” for the prison officials as the prison will be inaugurated in two weeks.

The initiative is jointly owned by the Minister of Justice, the Correctional Service and the Judicial Training Institute.

The new prison in Harren will replace Vorst, St.-Gilles and Berkendel prisons with the main difference being that it is essentially a prison village with smaller buildings and separate cells for prisoners each holding around 30. In this way the prisoners they will be separated according to their age and the nature of their offence.