The number of prisoners in Russia by the beginning of 2017 reached a historic low
As of January 1, in prisons, colonies and detention center contains about 630 thousand people.
Moscow. March 12. INTERFAX.RU — the Prison population of Russia at the expense of the humanization of punishment has declined in the twenty-first century, almost two times, have informed “Interfax” on Sunday in the press office of Federal service of execution of punishments (FSIN).
March 12 Russia celebrates the Day of the employee of criminal-Executive system (UIS) — Department turned 138 years.
“Currently, solved a number of tasks aimed at the liberalization of penal policy, humanization of the penitentiary. A steadily dwindling number of suspects, accused persons and convicted prisoners in prisons”, — said in a release sent to the Agency the press office.
It notes that as of January 1 of this year in prisons, penal colonies and detention centers held approximately 630 thousand people (of which about 523 thousand in prison and more than 107 thousand in jail) is the smallest number of prisoners in the present century.
According to statistics, over the past 20 years the largest number of prisoners — over one million — was recorded in the period 1997-2000, the peak of 1.92 million people — accounts for the year 2000
Then every year this figure has decreased.
However, taking into account the number of persons sentenced to punishments not connected with isolation from society, the total number of convicted persons during this period has not changed and continues to be of the order of 1 million citizens (currently registered in the criminal-Executive inspections consists of more than 417 thousand people sentenced to this kind of punishment).
As emphasized in the press office, now a special direction of work of the FSIN is to ensure the standards of treatment of detainees and prisoners.
“The Federal service has established a set of measures for their social rehabilitation and post-penitentiary adaptation. Important steps have been taken to resolve the social problems, the restoration of social ties, and assistance in obtaining passports and necessary documents for receiving pensions, social allowances and monthly monetary payments,” — said in a press release.
It is noted that in 106 correctional institutions “implemented an experiment on approbation of the model of prisoners, improving methods of educational, social and psychological work with convicts”.
“Improved health to ensure the rights of suspects, defendants and convicts. There is a decrease in mortality from diseases by 12%, including: TB, 54% from HIV infection by 7%, and from cardiovascular disease by 2.3%, from cancer — by 13.4%,” — say in the press office.
In the prison Ministry today is 716 correctional facilities, 24 educational colony for minors, eight prisons, 126 of the colonies-settlements, six penal colonies for prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, 217 detention centres and 98 of the premises functioning in the regime of the prison, 81 of the criminal-Executive inspection and 2399 of their branches.
The staff number of the Federal penitentiary service is 300 thousand people.