It is this Saturday, March 11 that 271 detainees will be transferred from the old Dendermonde prison to the new penitentiary establishment which is located not far away. This is, in the history of our country, the largest transfer of prisoners ever carried out.
This Saturday, 271 detainees will move from the former Dendermonde prison (East Flanders) to the new prison establishment, said Vincent Van Quickenborne, Minister of Justice, in a press release. “This new prison is necessary for better prison conditions for staff and prisoners, but also to fight once morest overcrowding.” he explained. This is the largest transfer of detainees ever carried out in our country. The first trip took place around 6:45 a.m.
The titanic operation required a lot of preparation upstream. Some 200 prison staff, 232 police officers, four prisoner vans, a helicopter, a water cannon, an armored vehicle, a patrol boat, a drone, eight police horses, eight anti-drug dogs and four patrol dogs will be deployed to ensure the smooth running of the transport. “271 detainees in one day is unprecedented. A prison that is 100% operational from the start never happened. Usually, we transfer 7 to 10 people per day or per week to start safely. But here, we do everything at once“explains Patrick Feys, head of the Dendermonde police force.
Prisoners will serve their sentences in much better conditions
In total, the prison vans will make 34 round trips with the detainees, under strict police escort. “The construction of the new prison in the Tanneweg in Dendermonde, officially ‘Poort van Dendermonde’, started in August 2020“, recounts the press release. Two and a half years later, the new star-shaped prison complex was delivered in December. It comprises four wings of three floors each. class and workshops are also planned.”Inmates will serve their sentence in much better conditions, both in terms of infrastructure and support“, rejoices the Minister of Justice.
Due to overcrowding, 20 people slept until recently on a mattress on the floor in the old prison, opened in 1863 and originally planned for 159 prisoners. For them, this situation is now a thing of the past. This new prison in Dendermonde is the first in Flanders to operate with the distinct functions of security assistant and prison assistant.
The new penal establishment is planned to accommodate 444 inmates.
“Detention coaches help detainees implement their detention plan, enabling them to address underlying issues that may lead to recidivism. Thus, they are actively involved in the professional, sports, training and relaxation activities of the prisoners. They help inmates get their lives back together so that they are better prepared for the end of their sentence and the risk of recidivism is reduced. Security wizards take over monitoring tasks“, details the cabinet of the minister.
Furthermore, the installation of 680 surveillance cameras reduces the need for physical surveillance. And thanks to the digital system for opening the doors by means of badges, the prisoners benefit from more freedom inside the walls, but also from more responsibilities in the accomplishment of their tasks in the kitchen, the laundry or in the workshops. The new penal establishment is planned to accommodate 444 inmates.
As part of the fight once morest prison overcrowding, it was however decided to keep part of the old prison (Sint-Jacobstraat) open for another five years for around a hundred prisoners. “Dendermonde’s old prison was dilapidated and hopelessly archaic. Under these conditions, it was even more difficult to give meaning to the detention, despite the many efforts made by the management and the prison staff. For the latter, the working environment had become unpleasant. Investing in modern prisons is investing in a safe society“, commented Vincent Van Quickenborne.
