MR chairman Bouchez wants detainees to pay for their stay in prison. “I don’t see why taxpayers should pay for the misdeeds of others,” he said. He also denounces that people who serve their sentence or pre-trial detention at home via an ankle bracelet receive 100 euros every week from the state, without taking into account their assets.
This weekend, MR chairman Bouchez presented some safety proposals in an interview with ‘La Libre’. The French-speaking liberals want to be sharp towards the elections of 2024, but already want to put some security issues on the agenda of the De Croo government. The proposal to make detainees pay for their stay in the cell is one of the most striking.
To begin with, the MR chairman criticizes the fact that people who serve their sentence at home via an ankle bracelet receive 100 euros in benefits every week. According to Bouchez, the income of these people is looked at to determine whether or not they have access to this benefit, but their assets are not taken into account. The French-speaking liberal wants to change that. “Convicts – who have multiple properties, but no income – are now entitled to 400 euros a month,” said an outraged Bouchez.
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Someone who attacked you is at home today and receives 100 euros every week. That makes no sense!
Bouchez would prefer that the benefit be abolished. “If you are unable to take care of yourself at home, then no electric ankle bracelet,” it sounds. He acknowledges that a stay in prison costs even more, but points to the signal we send to the victims. “Someone who attacked you is at home today and receives 100 euros every week. That makes no sense! So we give money to prisoners while the judiciary just needs more resources. The French-speaking liberal wants Belgium to take an example from the Netherlands where you pay for your detention.
LOOK ALSO. Georges-Louis Bouchez, president of the French-speaking liberal party MR, is an official reservist of the Belgian army. If war breaks out, he can be called up to fight
“Unconditional Debt”
MR proposes to work with an “unconditional debt”. “No income? No problem. When you work in 5 years, will you start paying it back. I don’t see why the taxpayer should have to pay for the misdeeds of others.” He repeats his call to look at the captive’s ability. “Some receive benefits, but at the same time own three or four houses.”
Bouchez does not want to proceed radically and proposes to record a debt that is “proportionate to the sentence”. “It also makes no sense to create a debt that is impossible to repay. There must be room for maneuver.” As an example, he looks at people convicted of drug trafficking. “The money from this trade has to end up somewhere. Let them use it to pay for their stay in jail.”
LOOK ALSO. Flemish Minister of Justice Zuhal Demir (N-VA) is not happy with the record number of ankle bracelets. She just wants less
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