Guide to Visiting Jock

Accommodation

• It is recommended you stay at the Art Hostel. The hostel is 22 Leva a night (approx AUD$20 or $11 Euros) and reception is open 24 hours 7 days a week. The staff are friendly and can help arrange for you to get around the city. The Art Hostel is located at 21/A, Angel Kanchev str., Sofia. Contact Number : +(3592) 980 78 98. Upon arrival buzz at the red gates and staff will let you in. It is suggested that you book in advanced especially during peak seasons!

Arrival & Travelling to the Hostel

• From the Airport

After leaving the terminal locate the ‘Ok Taxi’ desk. You will be able to order a taxi in English. Make sure you pronounce ‘Angel’ as in a right angle turn. The taxi should cost no more than 12 Leva, but the standard is 10. There will be people offering taxi services to you as you leave the terminal, DO NOT take these taxis, some will charge you 50 leva or even 50 euros! I would suggest against taking a bus as it will drop you a relative distance from the hostel. If you do decide on a bus you must purchase two tickets, one for yourself and one for your luggage (2 leva total). If you do not, there is a very good chance you will be inspected and fined. 

The hostel is down a side street off the main road. It is located on the right hand side of Angel Kanchev as you go down the one way street. A good landmark is an outdoor basketball court on your left hand side. The signage is located above head level, above a red gate. If you have any problems call them, all staff members speak some level of English.

Visiting and Travel to Sofia Central Prison

• The official visiting time is 1pm every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month and goes for 45 minutes. A maximum of 4 people are allowed per visit but it is suggested that numbers are kept to a minimum (when possible) as time is limited. Check with Spencer Palfreeman ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) to lock in a visiting date when you are intending to visit. He will be able to tell you if others are visiting and can ask people to not go on that day. It is important that everyone visiting on a particular day arrive together as only one visitation slip is filled (ie. If one person fills out a visitation slip and another person arrives 10 minutes later they will not be allowed to visit)

• The easiest way to get to the prison is to get the receptionist at the Art Hostel to order you a taxi. Be clear in your destination and a map is always good to have. The address is, 21 General Stoletov Boulevard, Sofia. The trip should take no more than 20 minutes and approx 10 leva maximum.

• On arrival at the prison entrance you will see from left to right, a boomgate, small guard’s box, and then an external building attached to the prison. It is important that everyone visiting on a particular day arrive together as only one visitation slip is filled (ie. If one person fills out a visitation slip and another person arrives 10 minutes later they will not be allowed to visit). Walk into the left door of that external building. Indicate to the guard behind the screen that you are there to visit Jock, give her your passport (this is where everyone visiting must be there at once and all passports have to be given to the guard at the same time). You have to tell her if you have food, cigarettes or other items for Jock (however do not given them to her), the easiest way to do this is to show her. She will fill out forms (and either keep or give back your passport). She will give you the forms (one for cigarettes and another with the names of who is visiting), hold on to these as you will require them later. After this then wait outside with your items.

• After an unspecified period of time (generally up to 2hrs, so you may wish to bring a book or other item or entertainment) they will open the far right door to the external room. This is where the food and anything else will be checked by security. When jocks name is called, take up what you have (if the guard before did not keep your passport give it to this guard). Give him the documents the other guard gave you and there is one you will keep (a copy of the one that has your name on it, this is to get your passport back at the end). After the security has accepted or rejected what you have to give Jock, wait back around at the guard box to the right of the boomgates.

• When everyone has completed giving their items a guard will eventually call out either your name or jocks name. Enter though the open gate, put any large bag to the right in the shelves as soon as you enter (take out valuables) Proceed straight ahead to the big iron doors. There is a security screening similar to that at an airport. Take of metal and proceed through the metal detector. If you have any valuables ie phone or camera which isn’t allowed into the meeting room, you will be given a key for a safe box or they will keep it and you will be given an id tag for it. After all visitors are though they will open the meeting room door, find jock, sit down and enjoy your rant. You have 45min but when the siren goes you can keep talking. The guards are generally relaxed and will sluggishly attempt to ask you to move on, you can get up to an extra 5min slowly walking and talking. I hope you have a good visit and remember to collect all your stuff including your passport on your way out!