Only 5% of prisoners in Bulgaria find work after serving their sentence. According to the Varna-based Altruist Association, quoted by BNT, 75% return to prison within the first year, mostly for theft. Experts from the organisation stress the need for legislative changes to help ex-prisoners find work and build a better future.

Data shows that only 7% of employers in Bulgaria are willing to hire an ex-convict. In Varna alone, around 600 people are released from prison each year, but there is currently no government programme to help them find work. NGOs such as the Altruist Association are stepping in to fill this gap.