Prison without bars and living conditions – as close as possible to home. It turns out that this is possible in Bulgaria as well. For the first time in 20 years, above the drawing board, architect Bozhidar Hinkov was faced with the task of designing a prison.
“Every task is easy to design when you do the hard work of researching what is needed,” says arch. Bozhidar Hinkov, designer of the prison.
The project was born quickly because of the clear and definite requirements of what should be in a prison: “The return of normalcy and the creation of the most real, close to normal, living environment, this is the leading element,” said the architect. Thus, in the first prison in half a century, the windows in our country will be without bars. And the cells will have nothing to do with the well-known rooms. A video surveillance room will ensure the security of both detainees and guards.
“It is planned to accommodate 400 prisoners in the planned prison, with double accommodation. There should be up to two prisoners in one dormitory “, said Ch. Commissioner Ivaylo Yordanov – Director of the Directorate General for the Execution of Sentences in front of Nova TV.
Although with good living conditions according to the standards of the places of imprisonment, the current cells will remain in the past at the latest in 2024, when it is assumed that the newest prison in Bulgaria will be ready. It will be different with one more thing – supervisors will be trained in it. In a three-month course, experience will gather both beginners in the profession and people with many years of experience.
“In connection with the high turnover that is currently in the system and the need to conduct courses – courses are currently being held in places in prisons, which is not the best option, as teachers are detached from the work process,” said Ivaylo. Grigorov, “Public Relations” of the project.
The new prison will not be an alternative to the Central Sofia Prison, because its capacity is smaller, say the General Directorate for the Execution of Sentences: “The planned funds amount to 17 and a half million euros. “This prison will be intended to be the main building, where larger sentences will be executed – up to 30 years in prison.” The money comes through the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. Apart from this, another brand new prison is not planned to be built at this stage.
