site.btaProsecutor General Calls for Tighter Security in Prisons

Plovdiv, southern Bulgaria, April 16 (BTA) - Prosecutor General Sotir Tsatsarov Monday called for tighter security in prisons as he commented recent escapes from the Sofia and Plovdiv prisons. "Penitentiary establishments have long failed to meet the security standards and this [escapes] were bound to happen, sooner or later," he said.

On April 3, two armed prisoners attacked guards in Sofia Central Prison and escaped through the main entrance. One was a repeat criminal serving 26 years for murder and the other serving 30 years for robbery, kidnapping and attempted murder of two police officers. The two are still at large. The escape from Plovdiv prison took place just a week later.

Tsatsarov suggested that the most dangerous inmates maybe should be put in a single prison with top-security regime. "No objects should be allowed into the prison except for the prime necessities. All prisoners should serve time in identical conditions and adequate conditions and equipment should be provided for the prison guards," he said.

Tsatsarov said that the judicial reform has been atop the country's agenda for 10 years now and yet nobody remembered to include in it the penitentiary system even though reforming it should be much easier.

He also said that checks by the prosecution service have found an uneven guards-to-prisoners ratio across the country with prisons where one guard is in charge of as many as 49 prisoners.

Tsatsarov also mentioned the low pay for prison guards and said guards' protest over inadequate wages is fully justified. "The low wages are to blame for having too many vacancies unfilled, for bad staff turnover and corruption practices," said he.

The Enforcement of Punishments Directorate General has been without a full director for over a year now, said also the Prosecutor General. He added that it is important for this directorate to have a professional leadership that is independent of political influences and be adequately provided for.