He hopes that the renovated prison in Ypres can take some of the pressure off. And he also wants to focus more on detention houses for convicts with short sentences, such as in Kortrijk. He said that this morning in Zeebrugge.
Paul Van Tigchelt, Minister of Justice: “Prison should really be the last resort, it should be a punishment that is really reserved for the most dangerous criminals. We try to punish the others in an alternative way. And those principles are laid down in the new criminal code that was voted on in parliament two weeks ago. These are a number of measures to meet the justified concerns of the trade unions. On the other hand, a law has also been published and entered into force providing better protection for prison staff against violence. Penalties for violence against prison staff will become harsher.”