Belgium: number of people subject to electronic tagging down in 2016

Figures communicated by the boards of management of the Flemish and French-speaking remand prisons yesterday (Monday) indicated that in 2016, a total of 5,600 individuals had an electronic tagging bracelet.

During the previous year, there were a total of 6,037 tagged cases. There is an appreciable decrease in Flanders (of 11.5%), whilst in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation the figures are virtually unchanged (with a decrease of 1.6%).

Last year, 3,050 individuals, either awaiting trial or convicted, were subject to electronic bracelet tagging in Flanders, and 2,550 in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation Wallonia-Brussels. This compares respectively to 3,444 and 2,593 in 2015.

This reduction is of concern when you consider that the Minister of Justice, Koen Geens, is particularly relying upon this means of surveillance to combat the problem of prison overcrowding.

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