PLACES FOR DEPRIVATION OF LIBERTY WITH THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE - Overcrowding is a persistent problem in the places for deprivation of liberty. - Prison healthcare system is unreformed. - The is a shortage of social workers and sufficient public funding for meaningful activities in the places for deprivation of liberty. - Unlawful use of handcuffs in the detention facilities in Sofia and in healthcare establishments. - Meetings behind bars for persons deprived of their liberty is regulated in the law. - Violation of the secrecy of inmates’ correspondence. - Violation of inmates’ labour rights. - Substantially overpriced products in the prison shops. In 2019 the NPM carried out inspections in six prisons, nine prison hostels, eight detention facilities and one correctional facility for minor boys. Following the inspections of the living conditions in these 24 places for deprivation of liberty with the Ministry of Justice (“MoJ”), the NPM established a positive trend for improving the material conditions and reducing overcrowding in the prisons in Lovech, Pleven and Belene, as well as in the five places for deprivation of liberty in the territory of the Vratsa Prison due to the extensive work on the transfer of the detention facilities in Vratsa, Montana and the Correctional Facility for Minor Boys in Boychinovtsi to the Vratsa Prison. However, the NPM has further established that the problem with overcrowding persists in some places for deprivation of liberty, the problem being particularly acute in the Sofia Prison and the detention facilities in G. M. Dimitrov Blvd. and Major Vekilski Str. in Sofia. The NPM recommends to make a comprehensive expert assessment of the implementation of the Programme for Improving the Conditions of Detention of 8 September 2010 and the Action Plan 2011-2013 to it, and to update the Programme for Improving the Conditions of Detention, with a view to assessing the need to close down detention facilities that do not meet the standards. At the same time, as regards the places for deprivation of liberty within the system for execution of punishments, there are no statutory standards for the required quantity of fresh air and day or artificial light. In connection with the medical care of inmates, it must be pointed out that pursuant to Article 128, para 2 of the Execution of Punishments and Remand in Custody Act, all inmates are health insured as of the moment of their detention and they acquire the status of persons with uninterrupted health insurance rights. The contributions are paid from the State budget by the Ministry of Justice. The inspections in 2019 show that the prison health care system remains unreformed and the quality of the health care for inmates does not improve. The NPM is of the opinion 7