site.btaInmates Join Sofia Waste Clean-Up Efforts, Justice Ministry Says

Ten inmates from Kazichene Minimum Security Prison near Sofia were deployed on Thursday to assist with the removal of bulky waste in the Krasno Selo district, the Justice Ministry’s press centre said.

The effort was organised by order of Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev, following a written request from district mayor Tsveta Nikolaeva.

Although the inmates are serving under a low-security regime and are permitted to work at external sites without escort, security personnel have been assigned to accompany them, said Zamfir Draganov, head of the Kazichene facility. He added that officers from the General Directorate for the Execution of Sentences are also present on site. The prisoners will also assist in the Lyulin residential complex. According to Draganov, the work assignment order is valid until the end of the year, but the inmates will remain available to the municipality for as long as needed.

Under Bulgarian law, inmates are entitled to work during their sentence, and participation in labour activities forms a core part of the state’s social and educational rehabilitation policy. Work is encouraged and factored into assessments of inmates’ progress, with the aim of supporting their reintegration into society.