Do Fear's Eyes Enlarge?

A week before the New Year, on 24 December, eight convicts cut themselves in Darieva Correctional Colony No. 10: some made one cut, some made both, and one of them cut his neck.

On the same day, representatives of the regional administration and the prosecutor's office departed to investigate the emergency. The following day, community activists and journalists were invited to meet the convicts.
Colony commander Alexander Gusarev explained that on Thursday a scheduled search was conducted throughout the entire colony. Such searches are carried out pursuant to orders from the regional department's office for the execution of sentences across all colonies. In principle, they are conducted throughout the country on the eve of all major holidays: before New Year, before Easter, before May holidays. Convicts who have been in the colony more than once know about this, but of course, they are not informed of the exact date. This search is more thorough, covering the entire colony, all divisions, and involving staff from other institutions.
That day at 10:00 they began searching the PKT – the camera-type premises for those who violated discipline. The inmates are led into the corridor, the cell itself is searched, and the convicts undergo personal inspection. The first four cells were checked without any incidents. But when they were inspecting a convict from cell No. 5, they noticed a piece of steel blade in his mouth, under his tongue. They ordered him to spit it out, but he refused. Then the staff employed physical restraint techniques (not even special equipment, but they "controlled" him so he would not resist and pressed on his jaws to open his mouth). He cursed, shouted, tried to resist, but the blade was seized. And then it turned out that at the same time convicts in cells No. 6, 10 and 14 had disassembled disposable razors and – "cut themselves" with those blade strips. The wounds were superficial, not deep, but the fact remained: a mass act of self-harm had been committed, and this was an emergency situation.
The representatives from the department and the prosecutor's office examined, first and foremost, the very convict who had the blade in his mouth. He claimed that he had been beaten severely and had a tooth knocked out. However, they found neither bruises, nor broken gums, nor a fresh gap where a tooth should be, nor even a fresh chip.
During a meeting with representatives of the district authorities, the deputy corps, the public council at the regional office of the department for the execution of sentences in Kherson region, the press, that man refused to comment on what had happened, saying that nothing had occurred, everything was quiet. And he had no complaints against the staff. We also did not notice any bruises or other visible injuries on his face.
Only one person admitted that he had heard loud noise, loud cries, the sound of blows. What happens in the corridor cannot be seen from the cell, but he understood that someone was being beaten, became frightened, and to prevent himself from being beaten – cut his own wrists. He showed the treated wounds. The other "self-harmers" did not confess at all: nothing had happened, everything was normal, there were no complaints against anyone, and nobody had cut themselves…
According to the colony commander, an internal investigation is ongoing.
That day during the search at IC No. 10, prohibited electrical appliances were seized (for example, kettles adapted "for frying potatoes and making borscht," homemade electric cookers – bricks with heating coils, heating elements). Also: metal plates for sharpening, hammers, wrench keys, files – "borrowed" from the industrial zone. In addition, they found mobile phone chargers, SIM cards, homemade playing cards, money and pornographic pictures. In general, the usual and by now familiar "gentleman's set".