site.bta839 Students Begin School Year in Correctional Facilities

This school year, there will be 38 first graders and 30 high school graduates in the schools within the prison system. In total, 839 inmates from all prisons have enrolled in education, the Justice Ministry said on Monday.

This is according to data from the General Directorate for the Execution of Sentences (GDIN) ahead of the start of the school year, which begins on September 15 in prisons as well.

The curricula and programmes taught in correctional facilities comply with national educational standards. The educational levels completed and professional qualifications acquired are certified with documents approved by the Ministry of Education and Science.

Some 479 students have enrolled in primary education, and 360 inmates have signed up for secondary education.

GDIN General Director Chief Commissioner Ivaylo Yordanov, officially opened the school year in Sofia, where traditionally the number of student-inmates is the highest – 230, followed by the prisons in Stara Zagora – 171 students, and Vratsa – 117. In the women’s prison in Sliven, 43 inmates will participate in educational activities, and in the Juvenile Correctional Facility in Vratsa – 10. According to regulations, minors placed in detention are subject to mandatory education.

In addition to compulsory general education subjects, inmates can also receive vocational training in various fields. The most popular specializations are those that offer opportunities for quick and effective employment and reintegration after release. For example, the Bobov Dol prison trains inmates to become assistant builders or plumbing specialists. The prisons in Vratsa, Sofia, and Plovdiv train metalworkers (locksmiths) and for female inmates in Sliven, the most desired profession is seamstress.