The Russian penal system exercises control and oversight of persons convicted under the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Until 1988, the structure was part of the Ministry of the Interior, today it is a separate state organization with its own legal status, charter and oath.
Structure history
Not every Russian knows what the FSIN is. Due to the nature of the work, information about employees and current events is usually not made publicly available. Today in the country there are about 1100 institutions subordinate to this structure, which contain more than six hundred thousand prisoners.
The penitentiary service has evolved over the centuries, its history reflected the features of the development of our society. During the time of the Russian Empire, reforms were repeatedly carried out to optimize the work of prisons, decrees were issued aimed at creating a special state structure.
Starting with Catherine II, there was a tendency to establish a penitentiary system, the duties of which would include not only the performance of punitive functions, but also the conduct of educational work with prisoners, and the prevention of relapse.
In the Soviet period, the importance of the penal system underwent major changes, new types of imprisonment appeared: forced labor camps, closed institutions, and the death penalty was reintroduced. For almost seventy years, the penitentiary structure was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and only by decree of 12/07/1998 was it qualified as an independent department, reporting to the President of the Russian Federation.
Tasks and Powers
Since the formation of its own structure, the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia has repeatedly changed. First of all, this concerns the adoption in 2010 of a special concept for the development of the system until 2020. Transformations include the creation of new types of institutions, raising the level of training of employees and directing all activities to humanizing the conditions of prisoners, as well as to preventing relapse of crimes.
Based on the provisions of the new concept, the main tasks and powers of the FSIN of Russia are formed:
- Detention of persons convicted or suspected of crimes provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation.
- Organization of supervision of the behavior of prisoners in places of punishment.
- Ensuring security for everyone in custody, as well as for employees and other persons who are in the territory of subordinate institutions.
- Guaranteeing the observance of the rights and freedoms of convicted persons.
- Organization of protection and escort of prisoners on special routes, if necessary, extradition of stateless persons.
- Creation of favorable conditions for serving sentences in institutions of the penitentiary system, which would be consistent with international standards.
- Implementation of assistance in social adaptation.
In addition, employees of the department are obliged to provide relatives of the convicts with information about the place of detention of the prisoner, organize meetings and dates, in accordance with the established rules.
Structure
In order to better understand what FSIN is, it is necessary to consider its structure. The organization has many divisions and subordinate institutions:
- the criminal-executive inspectorate supervises people who have been sentenced to probation or who have left the colony ahead of schedule;
- the escort department organizes transportation of the special contingent to the courts, police stations, medical institutions and places of punishment;
- there are educational institutions for the training of middle and senior officers;
- dog service, provides security and search in special institutions;
- The medical department provides professional medical assistance.
The Directorate of the Federal Penitentiary Service includes 19 areas of activity to ensure educational, psychological, industrial, supervisory and operational work.
HR question
Service in the penal system is attractive primarily because after ten calendar years, employees have the right to apply for a pension. Seniority in institutions with normal conditions of detention is one and a half years for one, and in medical colonies where tuberculosis patients are, two years for one.
Since 2010, employees of the FSIN have been receiving quite decent salaries, so today there are a lot of people who want to serve in the ranks of the penitentiary system. However, with the increase in salaries, the requirements for candidates have also changed:
- lack of criminal record of the applicant and his close relatives;
- lack of chronic diseases;
- steady psyche;
- good physical fitness.
Not many of those who wish fully understand what the FSIN is in fact - working with convicts is sometimes very difficult and dangerous.
Marks of Excellence
The rank system in the FSIN does not coincide with the military, so they are all used with the mandatory prefix “internal service”.
So, for the middle and senior commanding officers, the following categories apply:
- Colonel General
- lieutenant general;
- major general;
- Colonel
- lieutenant colonel;
- major;
- captain;
- senior lieutenant;
- Ensign;
For junior commanding officers:
- Senior Warrant Officer;
- ensign;
- foreman;
- senior sergeant ;
- sergeant;
- Lance Sergeant;
- private.
The assignment of the titles of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia takes place in the manner prescribed by the legislation of the Russian Federation.
Some facts
Like any other state structure, the penal correctional system sometimes finds itself in the center of scandals and is criticized in the media. The population, not fully understanding what the Federal Penitentiary Service is, accuses them of illegal content or of the lawfulness of the actions of employees, although the structure only carries out the execution of sentences and decisions of judges and prosecutors.
In a recent address, the President of the Russian Federation noted a decrease in crime and a decrease in the number of detainees. This, inter alia, is associated with ongoing activities in terms of education and assistance to convicts, as well as the initiative to replace sentences for non-serious crimes with suspended sentences.
The department also did not have corruption scandals. One of the most notorious is the accusation of the former head of the FSIN, A. A. Reimer, of fraud in the purchase of special equipment.
The concept of the development of the penitentiary system did not receive a predictable continuation, the proposed replacement of the colonies with prisons is unlikely to be feasible in the next two years, although the Government has not yet published an official refusal of the intended goals.