Public oversight of prisons: an effective tool or a simulation of prisoner rights protection?

On 17 September at 15:00, a press conference by the human rights organisation “Donetsk Memorial” on the topic: “Public oversight of prisons: an effective tool or a simulation of prisoner rights protection?” will be held in the press centre of the “Ukrainian News” information agency.

Yanukovych in Volyn colonies – persona non grata?

The leadership of the Volyn Department of the State Department continues to impunity hinder public oversight of human rights compliance in penal institutions.

Stryzhavka colony to be inspected

First Vice-Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov has listened to the requests of human rights defenders and ordered a comprehensive inspection of Stryzhavka Correctional Colony No. 81 (Vinnytsia region). Statement by VPG.

Departmental independence – a necessity or a whim? - Commentary on the article

I have just read the article by the well-known Ukrainian human rights activist Oleksandr Bukalov, which is devoted to issues of the departmental subordination of the Ukrainian penitentiary system.

‘Each to their own’

Personally, I am deeply convinced that in the event of adopting amendments to the Criminal and Criminal Executive Codes of Ukraine, which provide for the imposition of certain obligations on a person released from serving a sentence with a suspended sentence, in particular, completing a social behaviour correction programme, the desired changes will not take place; we will only receive additional expenditure of state funds and ‘adjusted’ statistics on the improvement of the situation.

What is allowed in Rivne is not allowed in Volyn

The leadership of the Volyn Department of the State Department continues to break the law with impunity. Another time this happened during the “Chervona Kalyna” festival.

Celebrating 1 September in the Chernihiv Women’s Colony

In the Chernihiv Women’s Colony, 1 September is also a holiday – convicted women will be studying at school.

Education behind bars

This year, on the first of September, the school bell will ring for 555 people who are serving sentences in correctional colonies or are being held in pre-trial detention centres in the Kherson region.

Volodymyr Pinkas – Honoured Lawyer of Ukraine

The Head of the Department of the State Penitentiary Service in the Kherson region, Volodymyr Pinkas, has been awarded the honorary title of 'Honoured Lawyer of Ukraine'.

Ideas of restorative justice in penitentiary institutions.

Throughout 2007–2008, the 'Space Without Conflict' Charitable Foundation, within the framework of the 'Development of Civil Society in Ukraine' project—implemented by the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine with the financial support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark—carried out the project 'Dissemination of restorative justice ideas within the system of law enforcement agencies and penitentiary institutions'.

THE PENAL ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN 2000–2008

Analytical report by the Legal Policy Research Centre: “2008 marked ten years since the adoption of the new penal legislation and the actual creation of the penal enforcement system of sovereign Kazakhstan. This is a sufficiently long period to analyse the stage passed and the effectiveness of the penal enforcement system in the new political and economic realities.”

New information on the 'Prison Portal' website

Detailed information about the correctional institutions of the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions has been posted on the 'Prison Portal' website in the 'Department Institutions' section.