site.btaPlan for Streamlining Activity, Expenditure of Directorate General of Implementation of Penal Sanctionsto be Prepared by January 16

Plan for Streamlining Activity, Expenditure of Directorate General of Implementation of Penal Sanctions
to be Prepared by January 16

Sofia, January 10 (BTA) - Hundreds of prison officers and
wardens from detention facilities held a new protest rally on
Saturday in front of the Justice Ministry in Sofia. The prison
officers and wardens reiterated their demands for the provision
of a financial resource of between 10 and 12 million leva to pay
overtime and night shift work. Chairman of the trade union of
prison officers Ivan Petrov told reporters that the demanded
amount of financing has not been included in the budget of the
Justice Ministry for a fifth year running.

A 30-minute meeting between representatives of the trade union,
the leadership of the Justice Ministry and of the Directorate
General of Implementation of Penal Sanctions failed to come up
with answers to the questions and demands raised by the wardens.


Head of the Directorate General of Implementation of Penal
Sanctions Rossen Zhelyazkov said that ways will be sought to
streamline costs in detention centres. He noted this does not
mean lay-offs but cost cutting by closing detention centres with
too few inmates. The wardens in such places will be relocated
to other detention centres or prisons.

By January 16 Zhelyazkov is to draw up a plan with
administrative, financial and organizational measures to
streamline the activity and expenditure of the Directorate,
Justice Minister Hristo Ivanov said during the meeting with the
protesting wardens, quoted by his Ministry. Ivanov said the
Ministry will try to tackle the problems, including by
streamlining the administrative staff in these facilities.

Representatives of the trade union of prison officers were
invited at a meeting in the Ministry on January 19 to discuss
the plan.

Petrov meanwhile commented that the protests will continue until
the State finds the money which are due to the wardens by law.