The Supervisory Council for Belgium’s Prisons, the CTRG, is looking for everyday people to evaluate the situation in prisons in Brussels. Volunteers will be asked to interview prisoners and staff to get a better picture of living conditions in the capital’s prisons. Anyone can apply, regardless of their background!
In recent months, reports of overcrowding and strikes in Brussels prisons have been legion. Overcrowding is an ongoing problem and the European Court of Human Rights has been repeatedly taken Belgium to task on account of it.
Five years ago the CTRG, an independent body that aims to improve detention conditions in Belgian prisons and houses of detention, created 36 commissions to improve monitoring of living conditions in Belgian penitentiaries. Across the Brussels region, the house of detention in Vorst, Sint-Gillis prison and Haren prison each have a commission, which monitors and deals with complaints.
The CTRG can already count on 500 volunteers supporting its commissions. As the mandate of the current commissioners expires in September, the body is now looking for new volunteers. The CTRG is hoping for a massive response.
No training required!
The volunteers visit the prison in question once a week for several months a year. Through conversations with inmates, staff and management, they gauge the situation in the prison. Thanks to the volunteers' annual reports, the CTRG gets a good picture of the living conditions. Volunteers may also make recommendations to improve the situation for detainees.
The CTRG has deliberately chosen not to set any educational requirements on volunteers. "We want to attract citizens from different backgrounds, to get as many perspectives as possible," clarifies communications manager Kim Sersté of the CTRG. Upon recruitment, volunteers do receive training, and each committee has a team of coordinators made up of criminologists.
Volunteers have a direct impact
The committees also deal with complaints from inmates. "That is a very important function with a direct impact. Complaints committees can overturn management decisions," says Mark Nève, president of the CTRG. Complaints can be very diverse, "from frisking prisoners in the nude to disciplinary proceedings,"Mr Nève notes.
Members of the public can register for the information session on July 31 via the CTRG's website .