In total, there are 869 such colonies of various regimes scattered across Russia, eight prisons and 315 remand centres. ![]() The Russian penitentiary system is organised in a different manner to corresponding penal systems in most countries: instead of cells in prisons the inmates are housed in barracks in penal colonies. Due to the repressive approach of the Russian law enforcement agencies and courts, the number of prisoners in Russia decreased at a slower pace than the crime rate did. A similar proportion of prisoners are serving their sentences for drug dealing (25%), which likely results from the fact that the proceedings regarding possession of drugs are straightforward and investigators use them as an easy means of demonstrating the activity and efficiency of the prosecution bodies. As far as the reasons for imprisonment are concerned, the largest group of prisoners are criminal prisoners, most of whom were convicted for murder (27.8% of inmates). This is why the fate of the accused is decided by prosecutors during their investigations. This places Russia first in Europe in terms of the number of prisoners per 100 000 inhabitants. Over 467 000 individuals are incarcerated in Russia’s prisons. Figures compiled by the Investigative Committee for 2015 show that acquittals accounted for a mere 0.4% of court rulings. Most recent amendments to the penal code have toughened the penalties. The reason behind the high number of prisoners in Russia is the repressive nature of the Russian judiciary as a whole. ![]() The recidivism ratio also remains very high: around 63% of inmates in Russian prisons are reoffenders. ![]() As a consequence, prison overcrowding decreased only marginally and there has been no evident improvement in prison conditions. Other factors include the closing of a significant number of penal colonies with the least strict regime (over the last eight years almost a quarter of the total number of such colonies were closed down). It has also been caused by demographic changes in Russian society: depopulation and an ageing population. The decrease in the number of inmates has mainly been linked to the fact that the courts pronounce prison sentences for minor crimes less frequently and tend to apply other penalties (such as non-custodial sentences or community service). A decade ago, the number of prisoners in Russia was almost double the present figure ( 893,000 in 2008). The present number of inmates in Russia’s prisons is among the lowest in the country’s history and has been gradually declining over recent years. However, due to the fact that the figures many countries quote regarding the number of their prisoners are often hard to verify, this ratio should be treated as an approximation. In terms of the number of prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants, Russia is ranked first in Europe and 17 th globally. These include the poor state of infrastructure, endemic corruption and the primacy of informal rules over the rule of law, consent to harsh exploitation of working prisoners and the omnipotence of the coercion apparatus.Īt present, over 467,000 individuals are incarcerated in Russia’s prisons. Due to the absence of a major overhaul of the prison service, whose institutions and code of conduct date back to the time of the Soviet Gulag, the prison system is an excellent example of pathologies that are also present in other elements of the Russian state apparatus. At the same time, it impacts the process of how shared norms and values are being formed in Russian society, in connection with society’s frequent contact with the so-called prison culture. This extended system is used as a tool for exercising control over society and solidifying the system of power. ![]() Hundreds of thousands of inmates are supervised by an elaborate apparatus of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN). Russia is among the countries with the highest number of prisoners.
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