You must have regular access to adequate shower or other facilities necessary to maintain hygiene.
Personal hygiene, including the regular use of a shower, is important to prevent disease, preserve your health and to maintain a socially acceptable appearance. The lack of an opportunity to have a regular shower, shave or otherwise maintain your personal hygiene may be psychologically and physically degrading and humiliating.
Frequency
You should be allowed to shower every day, if possible, but not less than twice a week. The number of times per week that you should be allowed to shower depends on the season, your gender-specific needs, your health, the work you do or other circumstances.
example If you are doing physical work, you should have the opportunity to shower more often than a person who spends their day in a less active way.
Condition of the facilities
The bathing facilities which you have to use should be adequate. This means that:
- They must be properly maintained and kept clean
- If bathing facilities are placed inside the living area, they should be properly separated
- The air and water temperature inside the facilities must be adequate for the season
According to Bulgarian law, after each use, bathing facilities should be cleaned and disinfected.
What human rights violation may there be?
Prohibition against inhumane or degrading treatment
If you are denied access to a shower, it may lead to a violation of your right not to be treated in an inhumane or degrading manner, or in the most severe cases, even torture. However, the effect that such a situation leaves on you must reach a certain minimum level of severity. A minor deviation from the norm will most probably not amount to a violation.
example If the shower was out of order for two weeks but you could use a sink instead, it probably won’t violate your rights. However, if you were only allowed to use the shower once every two weeks for a long period of time, it may violate your rights.
Read more about how to evaluate whether your rights have been violated.
How to complain
If you believe that your rights have been violated, you might complain to the prison administration, to the director of Directorate General “Execution of Punishments” or to the prosecutor. You might also submit a request for the termination of the violation or a claim for compensation of the damages suffered to the administrative court.
Read more about how to complain.