A month of legal knowledge for convicts and released persons

The charitable organisation ‘Chernihiv Women’s Human Rights Centre’, within the framework of the project ‘Ensuring Equal Access of Convicts and Released Persons to Justice – through the Activities of the Regional Centre for Legal Aid’, with the financial support of the International Renaissance Foundation, and as part of the work of the legal aid centre, has launched a month of legal knowledge in November of this year for convicted women, persons serving criminal sentences not involving deprivation of liberty, and persons released from places of deprivation of liberty.
On 6 November 2008, Andriy Leonidovych Kostiukov, Assistant Prosecutor of the Chernihiv Region, addressed the convicts of the Chernihiv Correctional Colony No. 44, informing the women about the legal grounds for being held criminally liable for malicious disobedience to the requirements of the administration and for actions that disorganise the work of correctional institutions.
On 12 November 2008, the women’s colony was visited by members of the Chernihiv Supervisory Commission: Deputy Chair – H. M. Kropyva, Commission Secretary – V. A. Selivon, and Commission Members – V. A. Badyra and L. O. Mazur. In accordance with the main tasks of the supervisory commission – the organisation of public control over the observance of the rights and legitimate interests of convicts – they checked the legality of placing convicts in a disciplinary cell. During the visit to the disciplinary isolation unit (DIU) and the study of materials on the convicts held there, no violations of the requirements of Article 134 of the Penal Enforcement Code of Ukraine (‘Procedure for applying punitive measures to persons deprived of liberty’) were found. Furthermore, the members of the Chernihiv Supervisory Commission conducted a personal reception of convicts and considered their appeals. Based on the convicts’ appeals, requests were sent to the bodies of the prosecutor’s office, executive power, and local self-government.
Every Tuesday, lawyers from the charitable organisation ‘Chernihiv Women’s Human Rights Centre’ conduct receptions for persons released from places of deprivation of liberty, persons registered with the penal inspection service, and their relatives.

Valentyna Badyra, Director of the charitable organisation ‘Chernihiv Women’s Human Rights Centre’.