“In public benefit…”

Today in Hall N5 of Sofia Municipality a Final conference on project “Demonstration model of community service” was carried out. The event was organized by Fund – IGA and Sofia Municipality as a partner. The conference was opened by Yordanka Fandakova – Deputy Mayor of Sofia Municipality. Participation in it took representatives of the Municipalities Veliko Tarnovo, Blagoevgrad, Pernik, Vratsa, Sofia Municipality, region “Triaditsa” and the relevant District probation services. The result from the project was presented by a multimedia presentation. Valentina Karaganova – Head of Department “Educational activities in detention facilities and probation”, General Directorate “Execution of penalties” in the Ministry of Justice introduced to the participants the report “Probation penalty and the community service”. An important moment during the project implementation was the development of Demonstration model of community service. It was also in the course of the discussion, in which the representatives of the five Municipalities expressed their impressions on the project.
Big interest among the participants provoked the movie “In public benefit…”, created by the Fund – IGA team.
The project “Demonstration model of community service” was supported and funded by the Democracy Commission at the US Embassy in Bulgaria and implemented together with General Directorate “Execution of penalties” at the Ministry of Justice, 5 Municipalities and the relevant District probation services.

Pres-conference in Vratsa regarding the activities within IGA project

On the special interim press-conference in the building of the District probation service – Vratsa were introduced the recent activities regarding the Fund – IGA`s project “Demonstrational model of community service”. During the autumn of the last year between Fund – IGA, the Municipality and the District Probation Service was signed an agreement that regulates the responsibilities of the three parts on the implementation of the project. The places that were to be renewed / repaired were defined. The main goal of the implemented demonstrational projects is to show to the public the positive results of the community service as a part of the probation penalty. Ivo Iordanov – direcot r of the District probation service – Vratsa introduced the results of the activities that were carried out to this moment. From November up to now on the one of the selected places – the hospital “Hristo Botev” in Vratsa six people sentenced to community service have worked 500 hours there. On the second selected place – “Sports Properties” were working 7 sentenced to the community service persons with time duration 300 hours. The coordinator of the project Orlin Tsekov made an overview of the implementation of the project activities in the five municipalities – Vratsa, Veliko Turnovo, Sofia, Pernik and Blagoevgrad and marked the proper job that has been done. The municipality was represented by Ivan Jekov – the general secretary of the municipality. Project “Demonstrational project for community service” is supported and financed by Democracy Commission at US Embassy in Bulgaria.

Five cities implementing Demonstrational projects for popularizing of community service

After the municipal administration and District probation services in them five cities of Veliko Turnovo, Vratza, Pernik, Sofia and Blagoevgrad have signed the agreements for realization of Demonstrational projects with Fund – IGA, in the beginning of the year they were almost ready with the work on the chosen places that were to be done by offenders sentenced to implement community service. The Municipality of Veliko Turnovo and the local District probation service chose to repair the locker rooms of Youth Folklore Ensemble – “Bulgarche”. In the city of Vratza were chosen the “Sport properties” and the Hospital “Hristo Botev”. Parks that need to be shaped up were chosen in the cities of Pernik, Sofia and Blagoevgrad.
As the project foresees, all of the work activities are to be implemented by people sentenced to probation and is to be financed by Fund – IGA and the relevant municipalities. The main aim of the demonstrational projects is to show and prove to the vast society the positive results of the implementation of community service as a part of “probation” penalty.
All activities are to be implemented in the frames of the project of Fund – IGA The demonstrational project for community service is supported and financed by the Democracy Commission at US embassy in Bulgaria.

Probation restores a park and playground in Blagoevgrad

These days Blagoevgrad became a host on the subsequent Informational day for popularizing the community service regarding the project “Demonstration model of community service”, developed from Fund – IGA, supported and financed from the Democratic Commission at the US embassy in Bulgaria. In hall № 101 of Blagoevgrad Municipality, approximately 40 people – representatives from the municipal administration, District and Regional probation services, prosecution, Bobov dol prison stuff, Directorate “Social assistance” and reporters participated in the informational forum. Georgi Milev – deputy mayor of Blagoevgrad Municipality, Viktor Asiiski – head of the District Probation service and Marina Manolcheva – executive director of Fund – IGA have signed a three way agreement between the Municipality of Blagoevgrad, District probation service of Blagoevgrad and Crime Prevention Fund – IGA.
Five municipalities –municipality of Sofia, Veliko Turnovo, Vratza, Pernik and Blagoevgrad were selected in accordance with the project along with the District probation services in the cities. Their aim is to show to the public the positive results and benefits from the community service as a part from the “probation” penalty. The municipalities came up with different types of community service sites – city parks, sport grounds, hospitals, sites owned by the municipalities, playgrounds etc. which are going to be restored and reconstructed by offenders sentenced to probation. The implementing agency - Fund – IGA is financing the sites with a specific amount, the Municipalities are participating with the same resources and the District probation services will assure unhindered access for the selected offenders on the sites.

Sofia popularize the community service in public benefit

 On 11th of October in hall №3 of Sofia Municipality was carried out Informational day with aim popularizing of community service in public benefit model. The Informational day was realized in partnership with Sofia Municipality and Probation service – Sofia. The Deputy-mayors Tsvetan Tsvetanov, Yordanka Fandakova and Milor Mihaylov attended on the event. During the meeting were presented the activity of Fund – IGA, project “Demonstrational model of community service in public benefit” and Probation service – Sofia from it creating until now. Fund – IGA performed the movie of the National Probation Directorate of England and Walls “Penalty with aim” and the presentation “Restorative justice and community service”. Participation in the meeting took representatives of Municipality administration, the Probation service, magistrates, Sofia – prison staff, representatives of the media. After the conference was signed three-way agreement between Sofia Municipality, Probation service – Sofia and Fund – IGA for the implement of Demonstrational model. Object of the project will be park place in “Triaditsa” region. It will be improve with the citizens, sentenced on community service. The project is realize from Crime Prevention Fund – IGA and is funding from the Democracy Commission towards the US embassy in Bulgaria.

Vratsa says “yes” of Demonstrational project jointly with Fund – IGA also

The second from the series Informational days fro popularizing of the community service as a part from the “probation” penalty was carried out in Vratsa. The major of the Municipality eng. Voislav Bubev, the chairman of District probation service Ivo Yordanov and the Executive Director of Fund – IGA Marina Manolcheva united the efforts of the institutions represented by them in order to realize Demonstrational project in the frames of project “Demonstrational model for community services in public benefit” with aim the popularizing of the “community service”, and all sanctions and measures executing in the society. About 30 persons – probation staff, representatives of the Municipality administration, judges, public prosecutors, investigators, social workers, participated in the Informational day. The Lecturers from GD “Execution of Penalties” and Fund – IGA responded of the numerous questions which hint of the organizers that the project is exceptionally in time as fro specialists working in the probation field, as for the society. Sentenced of probation in Vratsa will work for urbanization of the park place in front of the hospital (MPHAT). Board, posters and leaflets will make clear of the citizens what will happen next months. During the spring of 2007 y. as the Demonstrational project will finished, the object must be ready and to illustrate the benefit from the community service for sure.

Informational days for promotion of the community service as a part from the “probation” penalty

Yesterday (2nd October) in Municipality Veliko Tarnovo started the Informational days, which will popularize and promote the community service as a part from the “probation” penalty. They are implemented jointly with chosen Municipalities, the District probation services, where there are such, and Crime Prevention Fund – IGA in the frames of project “Demonstrational model of community service”, prepared from Fund – IGA and funded from the Democracy commission of US Embassy in Bulgaria.
Dr. Rumen Rashev – Major of Municipality Veliko Tarnovo opened the Informational day. Valentina Karaganova – chairwoman of “Educational activity in the prisons and probation” in General Directorate “Execution of penalties” – Ministry of Justice, Dimitar Rusinov – Program Director of Fund – IGA and Stefan Velchev from District probation service in Veliko Turnovo participated as lecturers. In the end of the forum was officialy signed three-way agreement, which regulates the implementation of the demonstrational project.
After Veliko Turnovo the informational days will continue in Vratsa on 4th of October, Pernik – 10th of October and Sofia – 11th of October. The Municipalities along with the District probation services will implement Demonstrational projects, which aiming to show to the public the results from the community service as a part of “probation” punishment – garden design, parks, public rest places or Municipality places, which have to be repaired. The implementer of the project - Fund – IGA is funding these places, the Municipalities participate with the same amount or sources, and the District probation services will ensure unhindered access, implementing the activities within the project to the places where they are implemented. The project forеsee publishing of informational materials and creating of movie for the realization of Demonstrational projects, which will be used with training aims also.
On the picture: Dr. Rumen Rashev – Major of Veliko Tarnovo Municipality, Marina Manolcheva – Executive Director of Crime Prevention Fund – IGA and Stefan Velchev from DPS are officially signing the three-way agreement.