days were contributed in the calendar 2018. This activity appears to be an additional good
behaviour incentive, reflecting the norms and customs in the places of detention.
The NPM found that in 2018 there was only one case of unjustifiably retained person (3
days) and the reason for that was the delayed court act. There are no isolated inmates under
Article 120 of EPRCA. As regards the accused and defendants, only one person is isolated
under Article 248(1) EPRCA. Two persons were placed in a separate room pursuant to Article
60(2) EPRCA
Total for 2018, there were 114 persons deprived of their liberty who had acquired the
right of ERP, and all proposals for their early release were respected by the court. Inmates
relocated from “close-type” facility to “open-type” facility number 25. There are no inmates
whose regime is changed from the initially ordered regime by the court to a more severe one
(Article 66 EPRCA). The regime of 49 inmates was changed to a less severe one.
The total number of rewards obtained by inmates in 2018 was 447, while disciplinary
punishments imposed on inmates totalled 214. Of note is the double number of rewards
compared to punishments. In its previous reports, the NPM also noted that this was due to the
extremely good microclimate in the Pleven Prison and the efforts of SWCA inspectors in their
work with inmates.
The programmes implemented in the prison are: “Programme for adaptation of new
inmates”; “Thinking skills”; “Tolerance in prison – tolerance in life”; “Formation of skills for
safe driving by inmates serving a sentence under Article 343b Criminal Code; “Short-term
programme for work with drug addicts”; “Sexual abuse prevention”; “Alcoholics Anonymous”
Club; “Management of finances according to God’s Word”; “Biblical educational seminar”;
“Preparing for life in freedom – challenges and choices”.
The Pleven Prison maintains traditionally good relations with probation services to
specify the types of probation supervision measures of inmates proposed for ERP, in accordance
with the conditions of the specific settlement, as well as a system of notification of inmates on
parole in the period preceding their release from prison. Monthly meetings are held with experts
from the Labour Office Directorate, Social Assistance Directorate, and the monitoring
commission in Pleven, at which the inmates receive current information on the services offered
and get answers to their questions.
In 2010, a primary education training centre with the Secondary School “Dimitar Mitev”
of Pleven Prison was set up and started operation in Lovech Prison. Every academic year is
preceded by an intensive campaign for clarification, motivation and granting certificates to
inmates with educational needs, aimed to enhance the level of their literacy. In the four primary
grades of the training centre from 60 to 70 trainees start their education every year and in the
2017/2018 academic year there were 41 trainees.
b) Medical assistance
Medical care in the prison is provided under the National Health Insurance Fund
procedure – through ex officio selection of a medical specialist with established working time:
Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. The staff members at the MC include one doctor
and one medical auxiliary. The position of the medical auxiliary is held by a full-time nurse. A
doctor works under a civil contract and his working time is: Tuesday morning and Wednesday
afternoon. Two janitors who are inmates work at the MC. The MC also relies on support from
the Urgent Medical Care Center which has not refused a call.
The NPM recommends a doctor with a weekly schedule to be appointed for the
activities of the MC. It should be noted that in 2019 the NPM did not receive any complaints
from inmates about the medical services in the prison. This could be attributed to the good social
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