The prison exists since April 1956. Initially 200 prisoners were moved there from the Bogdanov Dol Labour Educatory Center in Pernik. This was the beginning of the so-called “Site 20” of the Sofia prison. The prisoners were mostly employed in construction work for the building of the Bobov Dol settlement.

Since January 1, 1957 the Site was transferred to the Kyustendil prison as a prison dormitory. The number of prisoners grew to 600. They started working in the Bobov Dol mines. The prisoners were mainly recidivists. The ministry militia guarded the prison. With the growth of the mining enterprise the significance of the dormitory also increased, and the prisoners were almost exclusively occupied in coal mining.

After the introduction of the Penalties Execution Law of 1969 the prison dormitory was transformed into a separate prison facility. The number of prisoners varies around 1000. This status and composition of the prison persisted until 1990. After the democratic changes in the country the number of prisons occupied in mining gradually diminished, until in June 1994 the work of the prisoners in the Bobov Dol mines finally came to a halt. Before 1994 the prison housed prisoners of the “closed non-recidivist type”, as well as recidivists, and those willing to work in the mining production from all over the country.

In accordance with Ordinance № 11 from July 5, 1990 the prison was differentiated as a specialized facility for non-recidivists of the “closed type” category from the Blagoevgrad, Pernik and Kyustendil areas. It is equipped with the Minor correction dormitory of the “open type” category.

With the adoption of Ordinance № 4 from March 29, 2001 on accommodation in societies of “open”, “semi-open” and “transitive” type and the distribution of the prisoners in prisons, reformatories and corrective societies the prison was populated by offenders of the “closed type non-recidivists” category from the Blagoevgrad, Pernik, Kyustendil and Pazardzhik districts.

In accordance with Ordinance № 2 from April 19, 1990 of the Minister of Justice the prison also houses defendants and accused in detention, recidivists and non-recidivist should be separated. The Minor correction dormitory still exists but with few inmates .

Former military areas in the village of Samoranovo, Dupnitsa municipality were attributed to the prison for management with an act of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria in 2000.
At the beginning of 2002 the adoption of significant amendments to the Penalty Execution Law were introduced.

In 2002, Official Gazette 62/June 25, 2002 published the amendments to the Penalty Execution Law. With these amendments the execution of penalties will be changed significantly. This amendment will be enforced from 01/01/2004

The type of dormitories at the prisons will change. The term labour-corrective hostels will no longer exist. They will be replaced by prison dormitories. No societies of a semi-open type will exist. The law defines prison dormitories of a transitory type.

Although only halfway, an attempt has been made to clarify the status of the penitentiary staff. New vision has been adopted for the probation. An attempt has been made to reduce the number of regulatory acts. The preparation of Regulation for the application of the PEL is under way.

With Order № ЛС – 04/04.10.2002 of the Minister of Justice Labor corrective Hostel “Minyor” was closed and a state enterprise “Prison Affairs Fund” was open to manage the economic activities of the prisons.