Laure Geerts

Photographer

Belgian prisons

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punishment room

One of the 3 prisons of Brussels

Marneffe, an open prison in the countryside.

"open playground" for the punished prisoners

â€œThere are so many things tha.... â€œ â€“ Prisoner in Verviers.

â€œThere are so many things that are officially banned in prison. There are things that are prohibited with reason, and things without reason. Forbidden things, but they are more than tolerated and demonstrate the terrible hypocrisy of the system. This is what disgusts me in prison. Here in this department, it is not very much prison. We have the doors open. We have a good comfort in our cell. Iâ€™ve lived outside with less comfort than this. Here we have everything. I have two hot plates, fridge & TV. But that gives us what? We have nothing. We are not punished, itâ€™s true. You can live 50 years like that, we have everything we need. Thatâ€™s the hypocrisy of the system, we are put aside for a number of years. We are totally and ridiculously useless. We serve no purpose to the system, we cost money to the system. The system is not protected as when we go out, we are worse than when we got in. Iâ€™ve been in prison since 1995. Iâ€™ve seen a lot happen. I escaped. Iâ€™ve never seen anyone or very few people who amend and become nice sheep because they have been in prison. I think the system is hypocritical. Drugs are prohibited, but it is more than tolerated. Many guards â€“ though theyâ€™d never admit it â€“ prefer to see people smoking a joint to avoid problems. The drugs enter. I know a lot of people that do not touch any drugs outside, not even a joint or alcohol. But here they are down with hard drugs. They are not drug addicts that fall in jail but the prison can makes them addicts. Drugs are is much easier to find here than outside. â€œ â€“ Prisoner in Verviers.

â€œWhat is the most beautiful t...ient of the psychiatric prison.

â€œWhat is the most beautiful thing, the most comfortable? It is having a place in the heart of your mom. No? Youâ€™ll always get the support of your mom. Always.â€ â€“ Patient of the psychiatric prison.

â€I would say there are cheate...ient of the psychiatric prison.

â€I would say there are cheaters and non cheaters, I am one of the non cheaters. In my head, Iâ€™m just a kid.â€ â€“ Patient of the psychiatric prison.

recreation room

Building the furniture for belg...f Marneffe, in the countryside.

Building the furniture for belgians prisons in the open prison of Marneffe, in the countryside.

room for conjugal visits outside supervisory

â€Look at me right in the hear...ient of the psychiatric prison.

â€Look at me right in the heart. A train line in the dark. I am neither inside nor outside. It is as if I walked a life without you. Iâ€™m jealous that you are there in the country. Iâ€™m here all alone with four walls. All this time should make you forget you love me. I think about you all the time. I cry for love and boredom your face there in my head youâ€™re very pretty nicely this is adorable. I rage and I write to you darling who are there with your great happiness when I get out of my hell but you know I love you so I would not want to seem sad but I have no sorrows not have you next to me.â€ â€“ Poem by a patient of the psychiatric prison.

meeting with a psychologist in the psychiatric prison

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Thumbnail of One of the 3 prisons of Brussels

Thumbnail of Marneffe, an open prison in the countryside.

Thumbnail of "open playground" for the punished prisoners

Thumbnail of â€œThere are so many things that_e. â€œ â€“ Prisoner in Verviers.

Thumbnail of â€œWhat is the most beautiful th_tient of the psychiatric prison.

Thumbnail of â€I would say there are cheater_tient of the psychiatric prison.

Thumbnail of Building the furniture for belgi_of Marneffe, in the countryside.

Thumbnail of room for conjugal visits outside supervisory

Thumbnail of â€Look at me right in the heart_tient of the psychiatric prison.

Thumbnail of meeting with a psychologist in the psychiatric prison

Public Project

Belgian prisons

Updated Dec 2012

Topics Abandonment, Belgium, Brussels, Crime/Criminal Justice, Documentary, Drug Abuse, Incarceration, LiÃ¨ge, Mental Illness, Photography, photojournalism, Portraiture, Prison, Violence

Belgian prisons suffer from overcrowding, escapes and too frequent strikes. Some of them are dilapidated, unsanitary. Too little effort is made "‹"‹to help prisoners reintegrate the society. Many know drugs, depression, violence and isolation. Is prison a place where one comes out even more dangerous than before entering it? How to balance the role of punitive imprisonment and pedagogical value of the sentence? Is it possible to imagine a jail with a human face ? These photographs attempt to tell the closest reality of prisons across the faces of prisoners, prison officers and social workers.

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