Ypres Prison is a small penitentiary. It was opened in 1876 as a detention center, but has also been used as a prison since then. The prison was completely destroyed during World War I and rebuilt in 1919. A wing was added in the 1970s, and a major renovation was carried out in the late 1990s. A new complex was opened in 2016. It includes offices for administrative staff, a new open center, a new kitchen, a new visitors' room and several rooms for activities organized by the Flemish community. In 1843, a decision was made to build a new prison in Ypres to replace the old "Rasphuis" (House of Strength). Criminals, vagrants and young thieves were locked up there. They worked together during the day and slept in their cells at night. In accordance with the ideas of the time, the new prison in Ypres became an isolated prison: prisoners lived in isolation from each other, had limited contact with the outside world and had to strive to improve themselves morally. During World War I, the prison served as a commandant's office, a field hospital and a detention center for British soldiers. After the war, the dilapidated prison was also used as a gendarmerie barracks and as a detention center. Restoration work was undertaken in 1921. From July 1938 to January 1939, the prison's entrance building was also used as a youth hostel, and the ruins of the main building were an attraction for walkers. After World War II, the Ypres prison gained in importance. As Kortrijk Prison was destroyed, Ypres Prison also became a detention center for the Kortrijk judicial district. Source: justice.belgium.be
