Lantin Prison is a minimum detention centre located in Lantin near Liège in Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 with a capacity of 694 male prisoners and 61 female prisoners.

Deaths from drug overdoses at the prison have been reported. In July 2007, deaths from heroin and cocaine were reported. In 2008, 100 out of 1000 staff members tested positive on a skin test for tuberculosis, although a positive test does not mean that the person will necessarily develop the full disease.

Protests

In April 2008, there was a "solidarity gathering" outside the prison. Police arrested the demonstrators, who were subsequently released without being charged.

Lantin Prison Break

Lantin Prison was noted in the media when two men hijacked a small helicopter in April 2007 and forced Pilot Eric Mathieu to land in the courtyard to pick up inmate Eric Ferdinand. Earlier the hijackers paid paid for the flight at an airfield near the city of Sint-Truiden saying they were tourists from Marseilles but eventually pulled out a pistol to Eric and grenade threatening to kill him. Eric said he landed around 200 inmates. One climbed on board while the hijackers threw tear gas canisters into the crowd. The helicopter then landed less than a half-mile from the prison, where Ferdinand and the Two Hijackers got in a waiting car and drove off. Eric Ferdinand was waiting to be extradited when he escaped Lantin Jail was arrested before in Belgium after escaping from a Spanish jail where he had been serving a sentence for theft, forgery and embezzlement.

Ferdinand was later arrested. In September 2007, Ferdinand was extradited from Italy to Belgium. In February 2008, he was sentenced to six years in prison for the escape. Three of his accomplices also received prison terms.