9m2 ASBL

Created in 2022 following the announcement of the closure of Forest prison, the non-profit organisation 9m² brings together committed citizens, researchers, former prisoners and professionals around an innovative project: to transform this former place of detention into a space for critical reflection on imprisonment and criminal justice in Belgium. Housed in an emblematic building of Belgian prison heritage, built in 1910 according to the cellular model of Ducpétiaux, 9m² offers immersive visits-encounters, educational activities, debates and research in order to make visible often hidden realities and to question the meaning of deprivation of liberty. Our ambition is to deconstruct prejudices, to open up citizen dialogue and to bring out alternatives to the "all-prison" approach, in an approach that is at once educational, cultural and committed. Thanks to a participatory approach based on experiential and multidisciplinary knowledge, 9m² gives a voice to those who have experienced imprisonment and invites each visitor to confront their representations, to understand the social impact of prison and to reflect on the human, historical and political issues related to detention.