The Director of the Interior Ministry ‘Enforcement of Sentences’ department, Petar Vasilev, has stated that out of the 9000 people currently in Bulgarian prisons, 2000 are drug addicts.

Vasilev, speaking in an interview for bTV, said that Bulgaria’s prisons are a fertile ground for HIV and hepatitis with 1 syringe being used by up to 100 prisoners." He added “it is not correct to solve the problems of society behind prison bars... Prison guards can not be expected to be the only people responsible for solving the drug problem.”

“Drugs enter the prison system in toothpaste; There is no closed system in the world that has solved the drugs problem in prisons. The easiest way to fight drugs in prisons is to help the drug addicts to become clean.”

Vasilev concluded by stating that annually 7-8 prison guards are fired for abuse of their position, which is tempting with wages of BGN 500-800 a month.

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