Work in prison is not compulsory, but active participation in work is stimulated and taken into account when determining the degree of correction and rehabilitation of prisoners.
Whilst in prison, you have the right to apply for paid work if any position is available. However, you cannot demand that the prison administration create a position for you. You may also be asked to do certain unpaid work for the maintenance of the prison. Under Bulgarian law, prisoners who perform paid or unpaid work reduce the term of their punishment, with two days of work counting as three days of imprisonment.
Read more about the specific rules for paid and unpaid work:
Prisoners have the duty to maintain hygiene in prison. With your consent, prison administration may instruct you to do some work which is unpaid. This work may include cleaning and maintenance of sites on or outside the prison, organizing and conducting training courses and other similar tasks. Although this work is unpaid, it will not be considered to be forced labour and will not, therefore, violate your rights.
Although the prison administration has to take into consideration your preferences, it does not have a duty to provide you with the type of work you want to do. It is only required to try to find work for as many prisoners as reasonably possible, depending on resources and the availability of positions. Prisoners’ work is not considered “labour” in the sense of the Bulgarian Labour Code’s definition. Working prisoners are not affiliated with the pension and the unemployment insurance systems, available to workers outside prison.
If you are employed to work for the prison administration, you are entitled to remuneration, calculated as a percentage of the country's minimum wage. The percentage varies between 40 and 50%, depending on the type of prison in which you are allocated and the
Application procedure
According to Bulgarian law, if paid working places are available in prison, you may apply for those positions to the head of the prison. The prison head will then examine your application and make a decision on your suitability, based on security and other reasons. Priority for a particular position will be given to prisoners with the most suitable education, experience and good discipline. The position must not be denied to you on illegally discriminatory grounds.
example The reason that you did not get the position must not be due to your nationality, skin colour or religion.
Investigative prison
If you are in an investigative prison, you may work if the prison administration provides position.
Applicable law
General labour legislation concerning health and safety at work must be complied with during your work. Other aspects of prison work are regulated by penitentiary law, including remuneration, breaks, time off work.
What human rights violations may there be?
If you have been denied a paid work position because of your nationality, skin colour or for other prohibited grounds, the prohibition against discrimination or unequal treatment may have been violated.
Bulgarian national legislation does not envisage specific procedures for settling prison work disputes. Prison administration orders, related to prison work can be challenged before the Director of Directorate General “Execution of Punishments” or before the administrative court according to the procedure set out in the Administrative Procedure Code. Read more about how to complain.