Penal Policies in Belgium

Abstract:Emphasis on the symbolic role of prison foodways provides a particularly nuanced way of understanding the lived experiences of imprisonment. In so doing, each experience is shown to be heavily affected by the distinctive contexts in which they are embedded. In order to capture and make sense of prison foodways in Belgium, this chapter provides a critical account of the penal philosophies and realities in a country that has been defined by Cavadino and Dignan (Penal policy and political economy. Criminology and Criminal Justice, 6(4), 435–456, 2006) as a conservative corporatist state. More specifically, the chapter shows that many of the processes in Belgian prisons betray a conflict between what is prescribed in legislation, and what happens in reality. In this respect, the official judicial line that imprisonment is a means of last resort, that prison is a place where normalisation is a key facet of the prison regime, is shown to be at best problematic. For those convicted of crime, the official narrative demands that they are supported for their reintegration and restoration. However, the chapter systematically shows how organisational and contextual barriers, such as prison overcrowding, strongly militate against these philosophies.

ISBN:978-3-030-96124-4

Publication year:2022

Accessibility:Closed

Review status:Peer-reviewed