A job portal for former convicts to appear on the Russian Internet

The Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia (FSIN) plans to launch an online portal for job vacancies for former convicts.

A new sub-division has been established within the structure of the State Department for the Execution of Sentences

The Central Support Base of the State Department of Ukraine for the Execution of Sentences has become a new independent sub-division of the State Department of Ukraine for the Execution of Sentences.

The Ministry of Justice has registered a new instruction of the State Department for the Execution of Sentences on the procedure for considering citizens’ appeals.

On 3 November 2008, the Ministry of Justice registered a new instruction on the procedure for considering citizens’ appeals and their personal reception in agencies, penal enforcement institutions, remand prisons, and educational establishments of the State Penal Enforcement Service of Ukraine, approved by the order of the State Department for the Execution of Sentences (SDES) dated 30 July 2008. The content of the instruction is provided below.

A month of legal knowledge for convicts and released persons

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 support of the International Renaissance Foundation, the charitable organisation ‘Chernihiv Women’s Human Rights Centre’ has launched a month of legal knowledge for convicted women at the Chernihiv Correctional Colony No. 44.

UN attention to arbitrary detention-2

Appendix to the press release regarding the visit to Ukraine of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention

UN attention to arbitrary detention

The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN Human Rights Council has summed up its visit to Ukraine (Press release, 5 November 2008). Press release

Legal awareness – for female convicts

A legal awareness month for female convicts has begun in the Chernihiv Women’s Colony

Production activities in Lviv colonies

As reported by the Department for the Execution of Sentences in the Lviv region, in accordance with the Criminal Executive Code of Ukraine, the primary means of correcting convicts is socially useful labour in correctional colonies, which allows convicts to obtain professional trades with a state-recognised diploma, compensate for the cost of their maintenance in places of deprivation of liberty, and compensate citizens for damages caused by committed crimes.

Departmental Traditions Versus Criminal Traditions?

The Department, as is traditional, transfers inconvenient prisoners involved in resistance against the administration to other penal colonies. The public is not permitted to observe inspections.

The Department has refuted itself

Accusing human rights defenders of ignoring the department’s invitations to visit colonies, the agency got confused in its accusations and provided examples of such visits itself.

Temnivska colony administration covering up traces of violations

Press release. The information received by the Kharkiv Human Rights Group that a number of prisoners at the Temnivska colony No. 100 were indeed subjected to the illegal use of force is true; however, the management of this colony is taking measures to ensure that the traces of ill-treatment of prisoners disappear and that those guilty of ill-treatment remain unpunished.

Divorce by convicts

The Ministry of Justice has regulated the divorce procedure for convicted persons.