Monitoring visit to Vinnytsia Penal Institution No. 1

04.11.2021 Andriy Didenko, Serhiy Zuikov

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Visits to this institution are carried out with a certain periodicity. Let us recall that this facility has the largest number of prisoners serving life sentences.

On 2 October 2021, a monitoring group from the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group (KHPG), consisting of Serhiy Zuikov, a member of the Public Council under the Ministry of Justice, and Andriy Didenko, a journalist for the ‘Human Rights’ information bulletin of the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, carried out another visit to Vinnytsia Penal Institution No. 1.

Visits to this institution are carried out with a certain periodicity. Let us recall that this facility has the largest number of prisoners serving life sentences.

This time, the maximum-security sector for life-sentenced prisoners, the medical unit, the living cells of the remand prison, and the transit cells were visited.

General information

The head of the institution is Lieutenant Colonel of the Internal Service Anatoliy Anatoliyovych Dudoladov.

Accompanied by the duty assistant to the head, Serhiy Volodymyrovych Borodachenko.

The authorized staff size is 329 (including 40 civilian employees) with an actual number of 279 (including 37 civilian employees).

There are 3 psychologists in the social and psychological work department and 1 in the human resources department.

The total number of prisoners in the institution in 2020 was 1,054, and in 2021 it was 1,063.

The daily cost of maintaining one prisoner is 44 hryvnias 29 kopecks, and the utility and maintenance costs amount to 28 hryvnias 17 kopecks.

Throughout the year, the number of deaths in the medical unit and in Ministry of Health facilities were: 3 in 2019, 8 in 2020, and 7 in 2021.

83 convicts are employed under labour contracts.

In the current year, the average monthly salary is 2,881 UAH 91 kop.

2 prisoners served disciplinary punishments.

There are 335 prisoners serving life imprisonment.

18 prisoners were undergoing treatment in the Health Care Centre of the State Penitentiary Service (on the institution’s premises).

594 prisoners were transferred to other penal institutions in 2020, and 1,405 in 2021.

There are 29 people registered with HIV and 12 with AIDS; 6 people are receiving ART therapy.

34 prisoners are prone to suicide.

2 suicides were recorded in 2021.

23 people are prone to self-harm, and 7 are prone to escape.

In 2020, 2,840 appeals (complaints) were received from prisoners, and 2,771 in 2021.

In 2020, the total number of persons released under Article 81 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine was 4, and 9 in 2021.

There were 73 calls for emergency medical assistance in the current year.

In 2020, 39 cases of bodily injuries among prisoners were recorded (30 upon arrival and 9 during their stay in the institution); in 2021, there were 121 cases in total (101 upon arrival and 20 during their stay in the institution).

Special means were used 4 times in 2020; they were not used at all in 2021.

In 2020, there were 59 long-term visits and 439 short-term visits; in 2021, there were 57 long-term and 276 short-term visits.

639 prisoners have been tested for SARS-CoV (IgG, IgM) since the beginning of the year; 6 people had recovered, and 205 prisoners were vaccinated.

Sector for life-sentenced prisoners

The institution has 150 cells for holding life-sentenced prisoners and one multi-person cell.

The cells are relatively spacious; there is a microwave oven, a television, and consoles.

Corridor

Internet classroom

The convicts carry out renovations on their own with the permission of the administration.

Questions were raised regarding PCR testing after visits for vaccinated convicts and a 15-day isolation period.

Convicts use multicookers and tablets.

Work cells for life-sentenced prisoners

It was a Saturday, a day off, and people were not working, but the work cells were opened for us to inspect.

Transit cells

There are two transit cells in which a small number of people are held.

Punishment cell (karzer)

In the punishment cells, the beds are unfastened.

There is legal literature in the punishment cell.

A prisoner in the punishment cell complained about the staff of the Kharkiv colonies; he has no complaints about the actions of the institution’s management.

Lunch is being prepared; there is meat in the pot.

Convict T. complained about the biased attitude of the institution’s administration towards him. His video statement was recorded. We also visited the cell where the convict is held. The cell is damp and quite cool. The convict complained that there is a constant draught in the cell, which contributes to his poor health. Another convict complained that, in his opinion, he contracted a virus (Hepatitis C) in the medical unit. It is impossible to verify this information.