A small room with a sink and a toilet does not inspire anyone. Another thing, if we say that this is a punishment cell. Even a seasoned convict is afraid to find himself in such a place. Why are prisoners so afraid to get there, and what are the features of this type of punishment in prisons and colonies?
Concept and interpretation
ShIZO is an abbreviation of the punitive isolator. Each prison or colony has a department in which there are several rooms designed to contain one or more prisoners. Among prisoners, such premises are called “prison in prison”; moving to a pre-trial detention center is “expulsion to a condo”. The most common word used to denote this place is punishment cell.
Why put in a punishment cell?
Any prisoner who violates the regime of detention can get there. Among the misconduct may be such minor as the use of obscene language or more severe - the storage of prohibited items. As you know, any gambling is prohibited in the zone. The deck of cards found by the guard may be the reason for the placement in the isolation ward. This is considered the most severe punishment. Disrespect for the camp authorities or drinking alcohol is also considered a violation.
Often, the “paleter” can become the culprit for the prisoner getting into the punishment cell. What does this word mean, not everyone knows. This is the name of the person who closely monitors the actions of the guard and sends signals to cellmates. Sometimes he may be distracted or not have time to warn that there will now be a detour. A prisoner who was lying on his bed at that time can go to a pre-trial detention center. Lying on the bed during the day in the area is prohibited. Even if in the morning the prisoner was late and got up a little later, this is considered a violation of the regime.
Soviet times
Until 1992, the position of a prisoner in a punishment cell was much worse than at the moment. The prisoner was not provided with bedding, he could not even stay in his clothes. Instead of a regular robe, a cotton suit was provided. No mattresses, pillows and blankets - only wooden or iron bunks. But this was not the worst: hunger was much harder to bear, as the regime violator was supposed to be fed every other day.
Now this is no longer practiced, but rations can differ significantly from the usual norm, since the prisoner does not go to work. But still, this situation cannot be compared with “torture by hunger”, as the conclusion in the pre-trial detention center was called earlier.
Content Features
The prisoner who has violated the order loses almost all rights if he gets into the punishment cell. He is forbidden to take any things except personal hygiene items (soap, toilet paper, toothbrush and paste). There is no way to receive letters or read literature. The exception is students and students in the prison school - they are allowed to have textbooks for independent studies. Naturally, there is no radio and TV in the punishment cell. The prisoner has no right to sit down or go to bed during the day. In the morning, he without fail handed over to the inspector all bedding.
After breakfast and hygiene procedures, a doctor’s bypass should follow. He knocks on every cell and inquires about the health of the prisoners. If there are any health problems, the doctor is required to conduct an examination and make a diagnosis.
To receive any products other than camp food is also prohibited. One hour a day (sometimes 30 minutes) is set aside for a walk. You can spend as much time talking with a priest or other cleric. If several people are in the punishment cell at once, then they are forbidden to communicate with each other.
According to the prisoners themselves, the most difficult thing is not even the fact of the absence of lively communication or any activity, but the inability to smoke or drink strong tea. Nicotine addicts are not allowed to have cigarettes. But some manage to carry them in slippers and smoke in the morning during hygiene procedures. It’s almost impossible to bring matches and cigarettes to the punishment cell right away. Smoking in the cell is considered a malicious violation and for this they can add another 15 days to the term.
Therefore, prisoners regularly use the opportunity to go to the “bathhouse” for other needs. As a rule, the inspector closes several people in the shower room and comes for them after a certain time. During this period, prisoners can catch a smoke and talk, since the walls of the booths do not reach the ceiling and any items can be transferred to a neighbor. A “bathhouse” is placed for each prisoner after 10 days of imprisonment.
What does the camera look like?
The size of the room does not exceed 9 meters. Sometimes the room under the punishment cell is even half as much. In this case, the camera contains no more than two places. In "large" rooms can simultaneously be up to nine people. But they have to take turns to sleep, as there is no place for a bed for everyone. If the cell contains only one person, the bunks are cleaned for a day and attached to the wall. A small window is often difficult to barred, but also clogged with a sheet of iron. On the ceiling there is a very small light bulb under protection.
A small table and chair are also tightly screwed to the floor. Despite the fact that the room is very small, it is rather cold and damp, so heating is not always provided for here. There is a small window on the iron door where food is handed over to the prisoner. There is always a peephole nearby so that an inspector or security guard can monitor what is going on at any time.
How long can I get to the punishment cell?
It all depends not only on the severity of the violation, but also on the personal attitude of the camp or prison authorities. The maximum period prescribed by law is 15 days. But, even being in a punishment cell, you can disturb the order several more times. Any unflattering or disrespectful word addressed to the guard can easily increase the number of days in a punishment cell several times. For juvenile delinquents, the term may not be more than 7 days.
Carousel
In order not to violate the law, the authorities release the prisoner from the isolation ward after 15 days. Otherwise, he has the right to contact his lawyer and bring to justice the inspector himself. A prisoner may have time to return to the cell or barracks for several minutes or hours, and then they call him again and report the violation and send him back. In this case, we can say that the ShIZO is such a carousel that you can ride on for an infinitely long time, until the authorities decide to stop.
Conclusion
Now you have an idea about the pre-trial detention center, and that this is not the most pleasant place in prison, and you should not get there. So that no one would be tormented by doubts, we will talk about what are the punishment cells. If it seems to you that it’s better to get into a cell where there are several people, then we hasten to upset you - the more people, the less likely that at least one of them will be able to sleep. Sometimes in a room with only 2 hanging beds, there can be 10 people. You have to sleep in turn and it doesn’t reach everyone. We’ll have to doze standing during the day, as lying down on the bunk is to get another 15 days. Sleeping also does not work - you can leave all your health on the concrete floor. Moreover, it can be filthy to impossibility.
Imagine the health of a prisoner after 15 days of such a pastime. Therefore, you should respect the authorities and try not to violate the rules established in the correctional institution.