Monitoring visit to State Institution ‘Zhytomyr Institution for the Execution of Punishments No. 8’

I. General Information

On 24 July 2021, a monitoring visit took place to the state institution ‘Zhytomyr Institution for the Execution of Punishments No. 8’. The group of monitors consisted of Maksym Revyakin, an assistant consultant to a Member of Parliament of Ukraine, and journalists Hanna Ovdiienko and Pavlo Shvab. Convicts who have committed intentional, particularly serious crimes, as well as persons transferred from medium-security colonies for malicious violations of the detention regime, and those sentenced to life imprisonment, are serving their sentences at the institution. This institution consists of a pre-trial detention centre, a housekeeping block for those sentenced to a specific term of imprisonment, and a maximum-security sector for those sentenced to life imprisonment. The planned capacity of the institution is 1,323 people.

The institution has been operating since 1914. It is located in the Bohunskyi district of the city of Zhytomyr.

II. Housekeeping Block

The residential rooms are clean and tidy. 27 people live in them. In some rooms, renovations were just being completed. The beds are located at a sufficient distance from each other. In the sanitary unit, outdated washbasins are installed, but they are still in working order. In the toilets, there are toilet bowls, which are separated by low brick walls; there are no doors. Such conditions in the toilet violate the convicts’ right to privacy and the provisions of the European Prison Rules.

The dining room is spacious and divided into two zones: a kitchen with refrigerators, a microwave, and necessary kitchen utensils, and a mini-dining area.

Also, in the residential premises of the housekeeping block, there were no disinfectant agents and no schedule for disinfection.

III. Kitchen

At the time of the visit, the kitchen was being prepared for lunch. In the bread-baking workshop, new ovens were installed last year. The kitchen has old renovations and food preparation equipment. As representatives of the institution reported, there are plans to carry out major repairs, for which funds have not yet been allocated. During the visit to the kitchen, the monitors spoke with the convicts who work there. They reported that they work 8–8.3 hours in two shifts and receive remuneration in the amount of 4,100 UAH. In the payroll for June 2021, there are personal signatures of the convicts confirming receipt of the monetary remuneration.

IV. Punitive Cell

The punitive cell facility was completely renovated this year. All cells are of the same type and are designed for the stay of two people. New plastic-metal windows have been installed with the ability to open them independently for ventilation. The toilet has been completely renovated, and new plumbing has been installed. At the time of the visit, there was no one in the punitive cell.

V. Sector for Persons Sentenced to Life Imprisonment

In the maximum-security sector for persons sentenced to life imprisonment, 161 people were held at the time of the visit. The convicts live in cells exclusively in pairs. All cells are renovated and are in a good condition. The cells are tidy, and almost every one of them has a television. There were no empty cells in the sector. As in other institutions, there are exercise yards in the sector with sports equipment, and they are sufficiently lit by daylight. However, the roofing requires replacement, as it does not fully protect against atmospheric precipitation.

VI. Shop

First and foremost, we emphasise that life-sentenced convicts do not have the ability to visit the shop themselves. Instead, they are provided with a list of goods and food products that can be purchased at the institution’s stall. The list consists of fifty items of food products, detergents, basic necessities, clothing, and footwear. The monitors selectively analysed the prices of these goods. For example, one pack of ‘Mivina’ instant noodles costs 11.00 UAH, whereas the market value is 5.40 UAH. The cost of one kilogram of sugar is 33.50 UAH, while the market value is 26.90 UAH. One kilogram of table salt costs 9.20 UAH, and in the market, its price is 6.40 UAH. A pack of A4 paper with 500 pages costs 135.00 UAH, while the market value of such a pack is 78.00 UAH.

Thus, the prices in the institution’s shop are inflated by approximately 30–70 per cent. Since the convicts are a socially vulnerable category of the population, such abuses are unacceptable. We note that the convicts do not have alternatives for purchasing products.