WORLD FACTBOOK OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS Bulgaria by Julija Bojadjieva Ministry of the Interior This country report is one of many prepared for the World Factbook of Criminal Justice Systems under Grant No. 90-BJ-CX-0002 from the Bureau of Justice Statistics to the State University of New York at Albany. The project director for the World Factbook of Criminal Justice was Graeme R. Newman, but responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained in each report is that of the individual author. The contents of these reports do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Bureau of Justice Statistics or the U.S. Department of Justice. GENERAL OVERVIEW 1. Political System. Bulgaria is divided into 9 provinces: Burgas, Grad Sofiya, Khasko-vo, Lovech, Mikhaylovgrad, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Sofiya, Varna. It first established independence with borders roughly the same as today from the Ottoman Empire on 22 September 1908. On September 5, 1944, the Soviet Union declared war on Bulgaria. Communist rule in Bulgaria began September 9, 1944, when a communist dominated coalition, called the Fatherland Front, seized power from the coalition government formed to arrange an armistice with the Allies. At the same time, Soviet forces were marching into the country without resistance. Communist power, consolidated in the next 3 years, led to the adoption on December 4, 1947, of the so-called Dimitrov Constitution, modeled after that of the U.S.S.R. However, the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe during the 1980s led to the removal of long-time Bulgarian leader Todor Zhivkov from government and party positions on November 11, 1989. Until this time, the Bulgarian Communist Party, with about 984,000 members, controlled all phases of Bulgarian life. The Bulgarian constitution had guaranteed it a role as the leading force in society. On January 16, 1990, the National Assembly formally removed from the constitution the clauses guaranteeing the BCP's preeminence. A new Constitution was adopted on 12 July 1991.(Source: CIA Fact Book, 1992). 2. Legal System. The government is divided into the executive branch, legislative branch and Judicial branch. Executive branch: president, chairman of the Council of Ministers (premier), and two deputy chairmen of the Council of Ministers. Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Narodno Sobranie). Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court. The legal system is based on a civil law system, with Soviet law influence. Bulgaria has accepted the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice(Source: CIA Fact Book, 1992). 3. History of the Criminal Justice System. In the first Bulgarian feudal state, founded in 1681, criminal justice was regulated by customary law and written statutes, such as the legislation of the early Bulgarian sovereign Khan Croum, the Old Bulgarian Statute for Trying the People, and the Byzantine Eclogue. As a result of the Turks conquering the Balkan Peninsula, the Turkish hegemony over the Bulgarian lands established a new penal system which was absolutely foreign to the Christian peoples that lived in the Balkans. After the Liberation of Bulgaria from the Turks in 1878, serious efforts were initiated to draft a modern Penal Code for the newly-born Bulgarian state. The adoption of the Penal Code in 1896 marked the beginning of modern penal legislation in Bulgaria. It was based on the Hungarian Penal Code and the Russian Draft Penal Code. The European penal legal tradition was grounded on the principles of the classical school of thought, and continued to be observed notwithstanding Bulgaria's political development during the 20th century. As a result of the serious social changes after the First World War, several special legislative acts were passed against illicit profiteering, corruption in state administration and serious crimes against the life and property of the citizens. Following the social and political changes in Bulgaria after the Second World War, a new type of penal legislation was de-signed. The legislative changes, described as a socialist type of legislation, mainly addressed a Special Part of the Penal code. New types of behavior were defined as criminal acts. The protection of the State's property was intensified and the central role of the State in public life as a whole became a first priority among the values protected by the Penal Code. Still, the basic principles concerning the crime, the guilt, the penal responsibility, and the terms of prescription were preserved. A new Penal Code was adopted in early 1951 and codified in 1956. The Penal Code of 1956 was replaced by a new Penal Code in 1968, which is still in force although it has undergone numerous amendments. The 1968 Penal Code is also founded on the basic principles and legal institutions of classical West European penal law. Some elements of "Soviet law" were also incorporated. The Penal Code has been amended to make it more compatible with international law and to promote a more flexible crime policy. For instance, amendments have been added that promote decriminalization and non-prosecution through imposing measures of control and reaction against criminals that are not formal punishments under the Penal Code. A new Penal Code draft corresponding to the recent changes in the social and political conditions is planned for discussion in Parliament. Procedural legislation has developed in parallel with substantive legislation. The Act of Criminal Court Proceedings was adopted in 1897. In 1947, a reform of the procedural law, corresponding to the new Constitution of the country, was initiated (after the temporary legislation of 1944 had succumbed to political aims). In 1948, a two-instance court procedure was established and the instance of cessation was abolished. In 1952, the first Code of Criminal Procedure was created. In 1974, the new Code of Criminal Procedure totally reformed the existing procedural law. More recently, a new Code of Criminal Procedure is being drafted to accommodate the new Constitution of 1991 and the organization of the Judiciary Act. The Execution of Punishments Act has been in force since 1969. It regulates specific activities with respect to the execution of punishments and defines the special places of imprisonment. It also provides for the legal status of prisoners and for their type of work and general and professional education. It provides for the types of regime, the means to maintain order and discipline, and the participation of the public in the activities of the prison-managing agencies. The Execution of Punishments Act also regulates the execution of non-custodial sanctions.(Bobchev, 1910, 1907, 1927; Dolapchiev, 1941; State Gazette,(No.77) 1897, (No. 30) 1969, (No. 89) 1974; The Book of Crime in Bulgaria, 1993; Penal Code, 1896, 1951; Penal Code, 1956, 1968; Nenov, 1972; Pavlov, 1989). CRIME 1. Classification of Crime. * Legal Classification. Crime is defined as an act which is dangerous for society and is committed in the state of guilt and has been proclaimed punishable by the law. The Penal Code has three different crime distinctions. Severe crimes are punishable by more than 5 years of imprisonment or by capital punishment. Particularly severe crimes are those in which the criminal act or the perpetrator has demonstrated an exclusively high degree of social danger. A petty crime is one with insignificant harmful consequences. The National Institute of Statistics compiles information on criminal case activity in the courts. Their judicial statistics have two main classification schemes of crime. Crimes of the general type have a high level of social danger. They are prosecuted by a public prosecutor and constitute about 96% of the entire bulk of sanctioned crimes. Crimes of the private type are relatively less serious, such as those involving mild injury, injury caused to a close relative, insult, or libel. Prosecution is initiated by the victim's complaint. Crimes are also classified according to sections of the Special Part of the Penal Code which includes crimes against the Republic (for instance, high treason, betrayal, spying, diversion, and subversion), crimes against persons (for instance, murder and injuries), sexual offenses, crimes against marriage, family and youth, property crimes (theft, robbery, embezzlement), economic crimes, crimes against the functioning of State agencies and public bodies (malfeasance in office, corruption), false documenting, hooliganism, and crimes of general danger (traffic offenses, theft of auto with intention to use, and drug-related offenses). The police statistics recognize two types of crime which are the responsibility of separate police units. The criminal police detect "street" crime: murder, rape, robbery, theft, hooliganism, and traffic offenses. The economic police detect economic crime: embezzlement, malfeasance in office, corruption, and false documentation. There are also special statistics filed relating to traffic accidents. * Age of Criminal Responsibility. The Penal Code establishes the age of criminal responsibility to be 18 years if the crime is committed in a state of culpability. Minors, or those persons between 14 and 18 years, are criminally responsible if they are able to understand the nature of their acts and govern their own behavior. * Drug Offenses. The Penal Code has established the following as drug-related crimes: the preparing, receiving (in any form), possessing or trafficking of drugs; sowing and cultivating plants with the aim to produce drug substances without permission, and abetting a person to use drugs. 2. Crime Statistics. In 1992, there were 253,133 crimes reported to the police, 28.3% more than in 1991 (197,304). The following statistics are derived from the 1992 Annual Bulletin of Crimes recorded by the Police Department in the Republic of Bulgaria. * Murder. In 1992, there were 782 cases of murder recorded by the police. Attempts are included. Murder is defined by the Penal Code as the deliberate deprivation of the life of another. * Rape. In 1992, there were 1,002 cases of rape recorded by the police. Attempts are included. Rape is defined as copulation with a female through violence. * Serious Property Crime. In 1992, there were 106,900 cases of burglary recorded by police. Burglary is classified under theft in the Penal Code. Theft is defined by the Penal Code as the deprivation of property with the intent to misappropriate it. * Serious Drug Offense. No data were available as to the number of drug-related crimes recorded by police. However, in 1992, the National Statistical Institute reported one drug-related crime which was subject to prosecution by a public prosecutor. * Crime Regions. The degree of crime, particularly "street" crime, is highest in the capital and the other large cities. One-fifth of the total number of crimes are registered in Sofia, which has one-eighth of the country's total population. The most frequent types of crime in the cities are self-interest motivated crimes, such as theft, robbery, and fraud. Murder, rape, and injury are the most frequent crimes in rural areas. Crimes are comparatively equally distributed throughout the district and municipal administrative territorial units of the country, with the exception of the highly urbanized areas. Generally, there are not substantial differences in the amount of crime between the urban and rural areas. The rate of rural crime has increased since 1990. In 1990, the rate of crime was 113 per 100,000 for the rural population, while the rate of crime for the urban population was 94 per 100,000. (Sources: The Book of Crime in Bulgaria, 1993; Penal Code, 1993; Penal Law of the Republic of Bulgaria, 1987; Nenov, 1972) VICTIMS 1. Groups Most Victimized By Crime. There have been no detailed surveys of crime victims. Some partial but not officially published data from police statistics show the ratio between male and female crime victims to be approximately 4:1. The most victimized age groups are between 18 and 25 years of age, 26-40 years of age, and between 40 and 60 years of age, accounting for 15%, 38%, and 36% of the total number of victims, respectively. In the past 10 to 15 years, the number of children and solitary aged people falling victim to crime has increased. 2. Victims' Assistance Agencies. There are no special agencies to help victims of crime. However, the law obligates the police to provide emergency assistance to crime victims. 3. Role of Victim in Prosecution and Sentencing. Victims of crime may sue the crime perpetrator for damages. Victims, including direct victims, heirs, State agencies,and business firms, can file a lawsuit before the criminal court that deals with the particular criminal case. According to the Obligations and Contracts Act (OCA), crime victims of the private type may also sue the perpetrator for damages. 4. Victims' Rights Legislation. Victims' rights are protected by special provisions of the Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Code of Civil Procedure, and the Obligations and Contract Act. According to a special legislative act, the State is responsible for damages caused to citizens by illicit acts of investigators, prosecutors, judges and other authorities. (Code of Civil Procedure, 1992, 1993; State Gazette, (No. 56)1993, (No. 109) 1993; The State's Responsibility for Damages Caused to Citizens, 1993; Penal Code, 1993; Code of Criminal Procedure, 1993). POLICE 1. Administration. The Bulgarian National Police is a specialized department of the Ministry of Interior and functions to prevent, detect and investigate crimes and to secure the public order. The activities of the National Police are regulated by the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria, the National Police Act, the Decree of the Council of Ministers for the application of the National Police Act, and by other statutes and regulations. The National Police is comprised of officers and sergeants. Although the department has a militaristic organizational structure, it recruits civilians to assist in personnel duties. The National Police is structured according to the administrative division of the country and comprises the Directorate of the National Police, 27 Police Departments in the Sofia Directorate of Interior and the Regional Directorates of Interior, municipal police departments, and neighborhood police stations. There are also subdivisions in various territories which correspond to the specific tasks of the National Police, such as the "Criminal Police," "Economic Police," "Police Unit for Securing the Public Order," and "Traffic Police." 2. Resources. * Expenditures. The 1992 annual budget of the Ministry of the Interior and its departments equal 3.7 million BGL ($1 U.S.=32BGL). (The Ministry of the Interior includes the National Security Agency, the National Anti-Fire Department, border and interior troops, and the Central Department for Control of Organized Crime.) The budget represents 11.6% of the costs of all budgetary agencies and 3.8% total budgetary costs of the country. A share of these funds is spent for the expenses of the National Police. * Number of Police. Actual numbers are not available. Every Bulgarian citizen may be employed by the National Police. Female personnel comprise 1% of the total staff and this percentage is expected to grow. 3. Technology. * Availability of Police Automobiles. The police have motorcars, motorcycles, and special automobiles for the transfer of staff and of drunken persons. * Electronic Equipment. The police have telephones, radios, television and other means of communication. They also have alarm and surveillance apparatus and other technical facilities and are aided by well-developed computerized data systems. * Weapons. The police have the right to bear firearms. Police units of the general type are supplied with pistols. Special anti-terrorist and anti-riot units are supplied with quick-firing firearms, self-loading guns, optical systems, chemical substances, protective vests and other special facilities. 4. Training and Qualifications. The initial training of police is carried out in four public schools for sergeants. Applicants for the schools should have a high-school degree. The training period lasts for 1 year. Officers with an academic degree are trained in the High Institute at the Ministry of Interior over a period of four years. The High Institute also provides and carries out 1-year courses for newly employed officers having an academic non-police degree. Additional qualification courses last between 1 to 4 weeks and are regularly organized for the officers and sergeants. 5. Discretion. * Use of force. Police may use physical force and implements, such as manacles, and rubber or electroshock clubs, in cases where persons refuse to obey lawful orders. They may also use force to arrest an offender, when persons are being conveyed, or in cases involving assault. Police may use firearms if they are attacked or threatened by firearms or in arrest situations. Firearms can also be used to prevent a suspect from running away, after a warning has been given. Police may have to prove they reacted out of self-defense. Firearms are not to be used against children and pregnant women. * Stop/Apprehend Suspect. The police may demand identification of suspects in the course of investigating crimes. * Decision to Arrest. The Code of Criminal Procedure provides for cases when an arrest may be ordered, for instance, to prevent the accused from evading prosecution when punishment for the particular crime is imprisonment of more than 10 years or capital punishment. Police may arrest persons who have committed crimes or who deliberately hinder the execution of police powers. "House arrest" may also be imposed as a measure to prevent evasion of prosecution. Arrests are to be carried out only by an order ofthe prosecutor. Persons cannot remain under arrest for more than 24 hours without authorization by the prosecutor. Upon his or her arrest, the suspect's relatives must be immediately notified. If information leads to suspicion that a particular person is about to commit a crime, the police may warn this person orally or written form about the penal consequences of the crime. They may issue a warning either on their own or by an order of the prosecutor. (State Gazette, (No.87) 1981,(No.89) 1974, Pavlov, 1989). * Search and Seizure of Property. Searches are conducted on arrested persons or persons who are suspected of carrying dangerous or forbidden objects. Persons found at the scene of a particular crime may also be searched. Seizure is regulated by special provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure. * Confessions. Police are not authorized to prosecute or investigate crimes. This power is vested in prosecutors and investigators who are officers of the judiciary. 6. Accountability. Crimes committed by police are punished through the civil courts. Prosecutors supervise the legality of police activities. (State Gazette, (No.26) 1968, (No.89) 1974, (No.52) 1980, (No.57)1991, (No.8) 1993, (No.11) 1993, (No.55) 1993, (No. 109) 1993; Decree for the Application of the National Police Act, 1992; Regulation for the Structure and the Activities of the High Institute of the Ministry of the Interior, 1991). PROSECUTORIAL AND JUDICIAL PROCESS 1. Rights of the Accused. The accused is the person against whom an accusation has been put forward under the conditions and in the order envisaged by the Code of Criminal Procedure. Persons accused of a crime are presumed innocent. The accused has the following rights: a) to know the nature of the accusations and the evidence on which they are based, to give explanations connected with the accusation; b) to have access to the case file and take any necessary excerpts from it; c) to submit proofs; d) to take part in the criminal proceedings; e) to make requests, notes and objections; f) to be the last to make a statement; g) to appeal the decisions of the court and of the agencies of the preliminary investigation which encroach upon his or her rights and lawful interests and; h) to have a counsel for the defense. The right to counsel for the defense of the arrested is guaranteed from the moment of arrest. Defense counsel is to be present at each criminal proceeding, upon the request of the accused. The accused may refuse to make statements during the pre-trial investigation and before the court. Refusal to make statements should not aggravate his or her position in trial. * Assistance to the Accused. Defense counsel may be appointed ex officio if the accused is charged with severe crime and has no counse. 2. Procedures. * Preparatory Procedures for Bringing a Suspect to Trial. There are two stages in criminal procedure: a pre-trial investigation and a court hearing. The pre-trial investigation is initiated by the prosecutor. The investigator may also initiate an investigation, but must immediately inform the prosecutor. Pre-trial investigations are initiated for crimes of the general type, crimes committed by minors or by persons who are physically or mentally disabled and cannot defend themselves, and crimes of the private type when the victim cannot defend himself or herself. A pre-trial investigation is not to be initiated if the case is under the jurisdiction of a regional (the lowest) court as the first instance and if: 1) the person has been detected while committing the crime or has been caught immediately after the crime has been committed; 2) there are obvious traces of the crime on the body or clothes of the perpetrator; or 3) the person goes personally to the police or the prosecutor and admits to committing a crime. Investigative agencies, such as the National Investigation Agency and regional investigation agencies, perform the pre-trial investigation of criminal cases. The prosecutor guides and supervises official investigation activities. Investigators are obligated to follow the written order of the prosecutor. Investigation results are delivered to the prosecutor, who must then determine whether; the act is definable as a crime and has the features of the specific crime charged; there are grounds to dismiss, suspend or divide the case; the circumstances concerning the case have been clarified; the accusation is supported by the collected evidence; there are substantial violations of the procedural rules; the causes of the particular crime have been investigated; it is necessary to change the measures employed to prevent evasion of prosecution. After examining the results of the pre-trial investigation, the prosecutor must 1) formulate an indictment (act of accusation) and bring the case to court; 2) return the case for additional investigation; 3) dismiss the case on grounds provided for by the Code of Criminal Procedure; 4) suspend the case on grounds provided for by the Code of Criminal Procedure - usually when the crime perpetrator is not known; or 5) reopen the dismissed case. If the grounds to initiate a court trial are present, a prosecutor will issue an indictment or a victim will issue a complaint (if the crime is of the private type). The prosecutor may take part in a trial of the private type if public interest warrants such intrusion. The parties before the court consist of prosecutor, the defendant and defense counsel, the private complainant, the private accuser and their counsel, the civil plaintiff and the civil defendant and their counsel, and the public accuser and public defendant if they have been constituted. Cases can only be heard under the jurisdiction of the court in the region of which the crime has been committed. Criminal cases are tried in an open court. There are several exceptions for which the law requires closed trials. For instance, criminal cases involving minors are tried in a closed court. * Official Who Conducts Prosecution. The prosecutor conducts the prosecution. * Alternatives to Trial. Information not available. * What Proportion of Prosecuted Cases Goes to Trial? Information not available. * Pre-trial Incarceration Conditions. Information not available. * Bail Procedure. Information not available. * Proportion of Pre-trial Offenders Incarcerated. As of the end of December 1993, there were a total of 8,519 imprisoned persons, of which 1,508 were arrested defendants who were incarcerated without having been convicted or sentenced. There were also 1,396 convicted and sentenced offenders who were waiting for their sentence to be imposed. JUDICIAL SYSTEM 1. Administration. The judiciary branch is independent from the rest of the government. It consists of the courts, prosecutors offices, and investigative agencies, which are all independent institutions within the judiciary. They are structured on the basis of territorial and functional principles. There are several types of courts: the Supreme Court of Cassation, the Supreme Administrative Court, the appellate courts, and the district and regional courts. Laymen take part in court processes only in the cases provided for by the law. The structure of the prosecutor's offices corresponds to the structure of the courts. There is a General Prosecutor's Office, appellate office, and a district and regional prosecutor's office. The General Prosecutor guides and supervises the legality of the activities of all prosecutors. The prosecutors enforce the law by bringing charges against criminal suspects and supporting the charges in criminal trials; by overseeing the execution of punishments; and by taking part in civil and administrative suits when required to do so by the law. 2. Special Courts. Specialized courts may be constituted only by law. Extraordinary courts are not allowed by the Constitution. 3. Judges. * Number of judges. Courts of first instance have staffs of one judge and two laymen. If the punishment for a crime is more than 15 years in prison or capital punishment, the staff will increase to three judges and four laymen. Courts of the second instance have a staff of three judges. The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) consists of 25 members. Eleven are elected by Parliament; 9, by judges, prosecutors, and investigators; and 5 are appointed by the President. The Presidents of the two Supreme Courts and the General Prosecutor sit on the SJC ex officio. The Minister of Justice presides over the SJC. (State Gazette, (No.56) 1991). * Appointment, training, and qualifications. Judges, prosecutors and investigators must have a law degree. They enjoy immunity and are elected by the Supreme Judicial Council. They cannot be replaced after they have completed their third year in office. The Presidents of the Supreme Court of Cassation and the Supreme Administrative Court and the General Prosecutor are appointed by the President of the Republic on a motion of the Supreme Judicial Council. PENALTIES AND SENTENCING 1. Sentencing Process. * Who Determines the Sentence? The court determines the sentence on the grounds of evidence collected by the court. The sentence may be appealed by the defendant or prosecutor within the term provided by the law. Courts of the second instance must examine the entire sentence, checking in particularly whether there were errors in fact-finding and in application of the law. Second instance courts may not collect additional evidence, with the exception of written evidence. Courts of second instance may not impose a harsher punishment if the sentence was not appealed by the prosecutor. A sentence that has already been imposed may be brought before the Supreme Court for appeal under conditions explicitly formulated by the Code of Criminal Procedure. (State Gazette,(No.56) 1991). * Is There a Special Sentencing Hearing? Information not available. * Which Persons Have Input Into the Sentencing Process? Victims can participate in a trial as witnesses. Other witnesses and experts can also participate. Experts must be appointed by the court. Parents or guardians of minors must be summoned for hearings in a criminal case against minors. They have the right to take part in the collecting of evidence and to make requests and objections. The Court may also invite social workers, pedagogues and inspectors of the Children's Pedagogue Rooms, which are special units for juvenile crime prevention.(State Gazette, (No.56) 1991). 2. Types of Penalties. * Range of Penalties. Punishments are listed in the Penal Code as follows: imprisonment, correctional work without imprisonment, confiscation, fine, exile without imprisonment, deprivation of the right to hold a certain office, deprivation of the right to practice in certain professions, deprivation of the right to live in a certain place, deprivation of the right to bear decorations already received or to enjoy titles of honor, deprivation of a military rank, and public reprimand. In 1992, 10,421 persons were sentenced for crimes, of which 80% were imprisoned, 11.8% were fined, 3.9% were given correctional work, and 1.1% were exiled. (State Gazette, (No.26) 1968; Miteva and Hadjilalov, 1993). * Death Penalty. Capital punishment is used as an exclusive measure for punishing the most severe crimes. It may not be imposed on persons who were younger than 20 years old or on women who were pregnant when the crime was committed or when trial was held. According to the Penal Code, the method of capital punishment is by shooting. From 1988 to 1992, a total of 39 persons were sentenced to capital punishment, 20 of whom were sentenced in 1988,15 persons in 1989, 2 persons in 1990, none in 1991, and 2 were sentenced in 1992. By the end of 1989 a de facto moratorium on executions was introduced. This moratorium was fixed by a parliamentary act in 1990.(State Gazette, (No.26) 1968; Miteva and Hadjilalov, 1993). PRISON 1. Description. * Number of Prisons and Type. The Execution of Punishments Act defines three types of facilities for imprisonment. Centers for correction and work of the open type are used for offenders who for the first time have been given a maximum sentence of 3 years imprisonment for deliberate crimes or a maximum of 5 years imprisonment for crimes of negligence. In 1993, there were seven open-type correctional centers. Centers for correction and work of the semi-open type are used for offenders who for the first time have been given a maximum sentence of 3 to 5 years imprisonment for deliberate crimes or for offenders who are sentenced for crimes of negligence but do not serve their punishment in open-type facilities. In 1993, there were five semi-open type correctional centers. Centers for correction and work of the closed type and prisons are used for all other persons sentenced to imprisonment. In 1993, there were six closed-type correction centers and eight prisons. In 1993, there were three correctional facilities used specifically for minors, one of which was exclusively for women. Each facility has its own regime. Regimes are classified as lenient, general, strict, and highly strict. The sentence generally defines the regime the offender will be placed under. Sentenced offenders are housed separately from convicted offenders who are awaiting sentence and from arrested defendants. * Number of Prison Beds. Information not available. * Number of Annual Admissions. Information not available. * Average Daily Population/Number of Prisoners. As of the end of December, 1993, there were a total of 8,519 persons in prison, of which 8,239 were male and 280 were female. * Actual or Estimated Proportions of Inmates Incarcerated For various crimes. Information not available. 2. Administration. * Administration. The correctional facilities and the prisons are supervised by the Ministry of Justice. There are no private prisons. Prison activities are managed by the General Department of Prisons, which also has a Scientific and Methodological Council for Prison Studies. (State Gazette, (No.30) 1969. * Number of Prison Guards. Information not available. * Training and Qualifications. Information not available. * Expenditure on Prison System. In 1993, prison expenditures totaled 320 million BGL ($1 U.S.=32 BGL). 3. Prison Conditions. Information not available. * Remissions. After serving a certain term of punishment, prisoners may be released even though the whole term of their sentence has not expired. (State Gazette, (No.30) 1969. * Work/Education. Prisoners may work. They can also obtain an education and be trained for work free of charge. (State Gazette,(No.30) 1969. * Amenities and Privileges. The type of regime operating at the prison defines prisoners' rights and restrictions. (State Gazette, (No.30) 1969. EXTRADITION AND TREATIES * Extradition. Bulgaria has extradition agreements involving legal assistance with Greece, Spain, Italy, Cuba, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Yugoslavia. Bulgaria is also a party in extradition conventions with Belgium, Germany and the United States. (Slivenski, 1934). * Exchange/Transfer of Prisoners. The Code of Criminal Procedure provides for the proceedings and conditions for the extradition of persons who are sentenced to imprisonment and must serve the punishment in their native states. (Slivenski, 1934). * Specified Conditions. Extradition may be carried out only on grounds of bilateral agreements for legal assistance or on the grounds of agreements for extradition. There are many cases in which extraditions are carried out based on good will when there is no agreement between Bulgaria and the requesting state. (Slivenski, 1934). SOURCES Bobchev, S., The History of the Old-Bulgarian Law. Sofia, 1910. Bobchev, S., The Legislature of Khan Croum. Sofia, 1907. Bobchev, S., The Bulgarian Penal Custom Law. Sofia, 1927. Code of Civil Procedure. A Collection of Parliamentary Acts and Other Statutes and Regulation. (Sofia: APIS Publishing), book 10, 1992. Code of Criminal Procedure. A Collection of Parliamentary Acts and Other Statutes and Regulation. (Sofia: APIS Publishing), book 6, 1993. Decree for the Application of the National Police Act, A Collection of Parliamentary Acts and Other Statutes and Regulations(Sofia: APIS Publication), Book 10, 1992. Dolapchiev, N., Penal Law. Vol.1, Sofia, 1941. Miteva, J. and Hadjilalov, P., State and Structure of Crime in the Republic of Bulgaria in 1992. Sofia, 1993. Nenov, I., Penal Law of the Republic of Bulgaria. General part. (Sofia: Nawka i Izkustvo Publishing), 1972. Pavlov, S., The Criminal Procedure of the PR of Bulgaria, Sofia, 1989. Penal Code. Notices, 1956.Penal Code. Notices, No. 26, 1968.Penal Code. A Collection of Parliamentary Acts and Other Statutes and Regulations. Sofia: (APIS Publication), Book 3, 1993. Penal Law of the Republic of Bulgaria. Special Part. Vol. I and II. (Sofia: High Institute of the Ministry of the Interior), 1987. Penal Law. Vol. 1, Sofia, 1941. Regulation for the Structure and the Activities of the High Institute for the Ministry of the Interior, No. I-115/23.09.1991. Slivenski, I., Principles of the Law of Extradition. Sofia, 1934. State Gazette, Penal Code, No.40, 1896. State Gazette, Act of the Criminal Court Proceedings. No. 77, 1897. State Gazette, Penal Code, No. 13, 1951. State Gazette, Penal Code, No. 26, 1968. State Gazette, Execution of Punishments Act, No. 30, 1969. State Gazette, Code of Criminal Procedure, No. 89, 1974. State Gazette, Act of the Prepositions, Signals and Complaints Made by Citizens, No.52, 1980. State Gazette, Prosecutor's Office Act, No. 87, 1981. State Gazette, The Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria. No. 56, 1991. State Gazette, Ministry of the Interior Act. No. 57, 1991. State Gazette, Regulation No.1/08.01.1993 about the Employment, Service and Dismissals of the Staff of the Ministry of the Interior. No. 8, 1993. State Gazette, Regulation No2/27.01.1993 about the Disciplinary Responsibility of the Officers and Sergeants Employed by the Ministry of the Interior. No. 11, 1993. State Gazette, State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria Act, No. 55, 1993. State Gazette, Obligations and Contracts Act, No. 56, 1993. State Gazette, National Police Act. No. 109, 1993. "The State's Responsibility for Damages Causes to Citizens Act", A Collection of Parliamentary Acts and Other Statutes and Regulations. (Sofia: APIS Publishing), Book 9, 1993. The Book of Crime in Bulgaria. (Sofia: University Press), 1993. Julija Bojadjieva Ministry of the Interior Research Institute of Forensic Science and Criminology Sofia 1000, UK 934 Bulgria Tel:82-92-29-50