Monitoring visit to Vinnytsia Correctional Colony No. 86

I. General information

On 7 November 2020, a monitoring group from the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group (KHPG), consisting of Maksym Revyakin, Pavlo Shvab, and Ihor Sosonskyi, visited Vinnytsia Correctional Colony No. 86. The institution is located in the city of Vinnytsia, right next to the Central-Western Interregional Department for the Execution of Criminal Sentences and Probation.

This colony is a medium-security institution for male inmates who have previously served prison sentences. The planned capacity of the institution is 526 inmates; at the time of the visit, 384 inmates were serving sentences there. The administrative staff numbers 150 employees.

The monitors entered the institution without difficulty. There is a disinfection barrier and hand sanitizer at the checkpoint. The monitors underwent temperature screening.

II. Living area

The institution has 7 residential departments located in 3 local sectors. All departments are of a block type. One department had been “well-maintained” and equipped with metal-plastic windows. Other departments had undergone routine cosmetic repairs and have wooden windows. It is quite cold in many of the rooms, so the inmates are forced to wear outer clothing. Each department has a tank with drinking water; however, hand sanitizer is absent.

In some living quarters, the residential space standards per inmate are clearly not being met. At the same time, the monitors discovered a room opposite an overcrowded one that contained sleeping places for only two inmates. This room was equipped with a large-screen television, a sound system, an electric kettle, a coffee machine, containers for drinking water, and an alcohol-based hand sanitizer called “CLEAN STREAM”. It should be noted that alcohol-based products are prohibited for storage and use by inmates. The inmates whose sleeping places are located in this room are kept in significantly better conditions compared to other individuals serving sentences in this institution, which discriminates against the latter group. The administration of the institution could not explain this difference in living conditions or the principle by which inmates are assigned to specific sleeping places.

The dining rooms are equipped somewhat more poorly than the “improved” living room, where kitchen electrical appliances should not be present at all. There are refrigerators and drinking water. Some departments have a multicooker and a microwave oven.

Sanitary facilities are located directly within the premises of the departments. In some departments, the sanitary facilities are in a dilapidated state. The toilets are separated by low partitions and, in some places, equipped with low doors, which violates the privacy of the inmates. The washbasins are in working order.

III. Bath and laundry facility

The bathhouse and laundry in the institution have been completely renovated. New washing machines and a dryer have been installed in the laundry section. The administration assured us that the capacity is sufficient for the needs of the colony.

The bathhouse has also been renovated. There are small partitions between the washing areas and mats available, but there are no shower curtains.

There is also a barbershop where inmates can get a haircut.

There is no separate room for a medical assistant to conduct anonymous examinations of inmates for bodily injuries. There is only a small corner where it is impossible to conduct an examination separately from other inmates.

IV. Canteen/Kitchen

At the entrance to the dining hall, there are five washbasins, soap, and three electric hand dryers. The dining hall is bright, clean, and renovated, equipped with metal-plastic windows. On the wall in the dining hall, there is a menu board with relevant information. The kitchen has also been renovated and equipped with modern boilers. The inmates working in the canteen have medical books, but the scheduled medical examination, which was supposed to take place in April 2020, has still not been conducted.

VI. Disciplinary cell/Cell-type facility (DIZO/PKT)

At the time of the visit, there were 6 people in the disciplinary cells. Since the beginning of the year, the disciplinary penalty of placement in a disciplinary cell has been applied 47 times. During the visit, some of the cells were undergoing renovations, while others had received routine cosmetic repairs. The cells are fitted with metal-plastic windows that the inmates can open themselves. There are washbasins in the cells, and the toilets are partitioned off with a wall and a door. There was no drinking water in the cells where inmates were being held, so the detainees had to drink water from the tap. The exercise yards are equipped with sports equipment. The individuals in the disciplinary isolation unit had no complaints about the conditions of their detention.

VII. Medical unit

At the time of the visit, four inmates were in the inpatient ward; they had no complaints about the quality of medical care. The wards have undergone cosmetic repairs and have wooden windows. At the time of the visit, the wards were not being heated.

Only 4 cases were registered in the register of bodily injuries for the current year, which is extremely low for an institution where nearly 400 people are serving sentences. This leads the monitors to conclude that such a register is not being properly maintained or that medical staff are not properly examining inmates for bodily injuries.

Since the beginning of the year, an ambulance has been called to the institution five times. No cases of COVID-19 were detected among the inmates; 3 cases were registered among the institution’s administrative staff.

VIII. Production

Currently, production in the colony is in the process of liquidation; only a workshop where furniture is made is functioning. There is a charcoal sorting area that is not in operation. Because the visit was conducted on a weekend, no inmates were working in the workshop. In total, 50 inmates are employed.