Most would say prison is supposed to feel like a punishment, but for one Brussels-based criminal, the opposite was true.
He was so impressed by the jail he was incarcerated in, that he described his time there in glowing terms.
Snapchat personality “Darrazi” was sent to Haren Prison in Brussels after inciting rebellion at the beginning of July, echoing the riots that had erupted in France. Brussels suffered a spate of violence, with several cars set on fire and other outbreaks of violence.
“Your cell is open and you have a good view of outside through the window because there are no bars,” he posted. “In your cell, you have a shower you can use for 12 minutes a day, a fridge, a microwave and a television with 80 free channels including two porn channels in the evening.” Apparently, those are French adult channels Drocel TV and XXL and detainees are able to watch them from 10.30pm, for free.
Contacted by Belgian news outlet La Capitale, a Belgian Prison Service spokeswoman said: “Those two channels are in the paying package of 60 cents a day. And yes, apparently at some point the paying package has been available for free to all inmates. Is that significant?”
Darrazi was the only one of more 200 arrested over the rioting incident who was jailed – for ten days. The internet star was held after he had called on Brussels youth to meet at Place Anneessens, one of the places to suffer the most serious unrest that night.
The 27-year-old shared his story on his social media account that has garnered tens of thousands of followers. Rather than striking fear in the hearts of his followers, he compared the Haren jail to an all-inclusive hotel.
“When you get there, they give you a makeover,” he posted. “You give your size and they give you new clothes and new Kalenji shoes from the Decathlon: tracksuits, T-shirts, underwear, socks, two pairs of trainers.
“They also give you a badge to open the doors. You are entitled to two play periods a day. There is a football pitch, there are fitness machines and activities,” he said.
The criminal influencer also said inmates could order a PlayStation, a computer, an electric cooker and disposable electronic cigarettes.
“The only thing that actually really bothered me in Haren was the many aircraft flyovers,” Darrazi concluded.
A La Capitale video shows Haren does indeed offer perks, perhaps more luxurious than low-cost motels for law-abiding citizens. There are spacious closets, flat-screen TVs, large windows, big wardrobes, telephones, fridges and clean individual bathrooms.
When it opened in October last year, the Belgian Minister of Justice Vincent van Quickenborne dubbed Haren “the prison of the future”.
