What is the difference between green, red and black prisons

In Russia, like in any other country, there is a long-established system of punishment. Those sentenced to real terms are placed in colonies, of which in our state, according to the Criminal Executive Code, there are several types. There are general, strict and special regime colonies, settlement colonies, medical correctional institutions, and educational colonies for minors.

The bulk of convicts end up in maximum security colonies, since such institutions contain adult citizens who have relapsed crimes and previously received a real sentence, as well as persons who have committed a particularly serious crime for the first time.

Maximum security colonies in Russia are legally defined in the Penal Code of the Russian Federation, which describes the features of serving the sentence. In particular, in each colony there are different conditions of detention: light, ordinary, strict and special (Article 123 of the Penal Code of the Russian Federation).

What is a correctional facility

A correctional colony is a place where people sentenced to imprisonment are kept, who have greater freedom of movement and less limited civil rights.

What modes are there?

There are four types of regimes in correctional colonies:

• general;
• strict;
• special.

General regime colonies are correctional institutions where convicts sentenced to imprisonment who entered this correctional institution, as well as convicts transferred from light and strict conditions of serving their sentences, serve their sentences.

People from light and strict conditions of imprisonment, as well as convicts from other general regime correctional institutions, go there. These are male convicts who have committed serious crimes and have not previously been prosecuted, as well as female prisoners imprisoned for committing serious and especially serious crimes, regardless of the fact and type of recidivism.

According to Article 121 of the Penal Code of the Russian Federation, the conditions for serving in colonies of this type are as follows. Prisoners can:

• spend up to nine thousand rubles a month on food and personal items;
• annually arrange six short dates and four long-term ones;
• receive six parcels or transfers, as well as six parcels throughout the year;
• leave the correctional facility twice a month on weekends or holidays to visit minor children, but within the territory of the colony;

High security colonies are places of stay for male convicts who have committed intentional crimes of special gravity, if they have not previously served a sentence of imprisonment, and for male persons who have committed a dangerous recidivism, if they have previously been imprisoned (Article 58 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ).

These institutions require more stringent conditions of detention:

• spending on food and personal needs is limited to 7,800 rubles each month;
• four parcels and four parcels per year;
• three short and three long dates;
• accommodation in hostels with a lighter version of punishment, and in closed premises (Article 123 of the Penal Code of the Russian Federation).

Special regime colonies are intended for persons who have violated criminal law in a serious form or have committed a particularly dangerous recidivism. In many respects, the conditions here are similar to prison conditions.

Prisoners can:

• live both in dormitories and in specialized cells;
• have two short and one long dates during the year;
• receive two or three parcels annually and one or two parcels, depending on the severity of the crime committed and the prescribed conditions for serving the sentences;
• They are allowed to spend an amount of six thousand six hundred rubles on food (in accordance with the provisions of Article 125 of the Penal Code of the Russian Federation).

There are also settlement colonies

Here citizens serve their sentences who have committed a crime for the first time through negligence, or who have intentionally violated the law, but within the limits of a minor or moderate crime. Living conditions here are more comfortable and loyal

Women and men live here together, not isolated from each other, in dormitories. They retain most freedoms:

• the right to wear civilian clothes;
• have a passport;
• move freely throughout the territory of the settlement and even leave it without leaving the adjacent municipal facility;
• arrange an unlimited number of dates;
• spend on your needs a limit of funds that is not regulated by law.

There are no guards assigned to them, but they are under the supervision of the colony leadership. They have the right to study by correspondence in higher and secondary vocational educational institutions. Convicts with no complaints in terms of behavior and discipline are allowed to live with their families on the territory of the colony. In case of disciplinary sanctions, they can be transferred to institutions of a more strict type (Article 129 of the Penal Code of the Russian Federation).

Educational colonies are intended for minor citizens. They live there in normal, simplified and preferential conditions, depending on which the amount of money that can be spent per month on food is determined; number of dates and parcels per year.

Inmates of educational colonies have the right to live in dormitories or in isolated premises, to take a walk at any time without limiting its duration, but within the territory of the colony (Article 133 of the Criminal Executive Code).

Strict conditions

There are also strict conditions to which a convicted person can be transferred by order of the head of the colony if the regime of the maximum security colony is violated. Criminals are kept in closed premises with the possibility of a daily walk lasting about two hours in a separate area.

For such violators of the law, the following procedure for visits and transfers is provided:

• long visits – once a year;
• short-term visits, transfers and parcels, parcels - 2 times a year.

As can be seen from the above, the stricter the conditions of detention, the fewer visits and transfers the convict is entitled to, that is, he is significantly limited in constant communication with close people and relatives, as well as in receiving basic necessities and food “from the outside.”

Correct prisons

All criminals know that. Therefore, in the “black” colonies there is peace and grace for everyone who follows these laws. The authorities in power do everything possible to ensure that their “wards” have a good life. They establish a connection with the will, and for special merits they can even smuggle a cell phone into the zone. The administration turns a blind eye to prohibited things, alcohol and drugs in “black” prisons.

They also turn a blind eye to the fact that prisoners do not carry out the work assigned to them. For example, in the “black” zone, prisoners do not clean the area and refuse to wash their cells. However, this is a small price to pay for the fact that in the “black” colonies there are practically no murders or fights, unlike the “red” and “green” zones. Today there are fewer and fewer “black” prisons. But on the contrary, there have been more “greens” over the past few years. And the orders in them are somewhat different from the zones of other colors.

Passing a medical examination

While a police clearance certificate is being prepared, the candidate for the position must undergo a medical examination. This can be done in a special clinic for employees. They are attached to it while they work in the colony. In case of illness, you will have to take sick leave here - they won’t accept regular sick leave at work.

To undergo a medical examination, you need to take a referral from the HR department. An examination should be carried out by a psychiatrist, narcologist, ENT specialist, ophthalmologist, or therapist. Women also need to see a gynecologist. The inspection is absolutely free and takes no more than three days.

As a result, the candidate for the position receives a conclusion and can go to work. On the first working day, he will have to sign an employment contract and order, familiarize himself with the internal rules, and listen to instructions. Having handed over the work book to the personnel department, the citizen receives a pass and can begin to master new responsibilities.

What is the difference between a prison and a zone?

The zone is a place for correction.
It is a small closed town. There is a fairly high level of freedom here. Prisoners can work, borrow books, attend clubs and go on walks.

In fact, it is not entirely appropriate to compare these words, since zone is a slang concept and does not appear in the documentation.

Differences between them:

1. The zone is a camp, the territory of which cannot be left. This is the entire period of imprisonment - from the pre-trial detention center until the moment of release. The word zone does not appear in the documents.
2. Prisoners do nothing in their cells. At camp they have a job and the opportunity to spend time reading or in a club.
3. It is impossible to move freely in the cell. At the camp you can visit various places and even receive education.
4. Order of personalities. Here it's more about getting nicknames and communicating. In the camp you can get a nickname from anyone and communicate with anyone you want. In prison you only have cellmates. They are the ones who most often give nicknames.

General requirements for the candidate

To work in the IC in the educational work department, you need to meet the following requirements:

• majority;
• availability of computer and office equipment skills;
• fast typing;
• stress resistance;
• non-conflict;
• absence of a criminal record for both the candidate and his relatives;
• neutral appearance (no piercings or tattoos in prominent places, bright hair, dreadlocks).

When receiving a position through an acquaintance, a person may not have special skills, work experience or special education. Candidates applying for certified positions are subject to more stringent requirements.

Green colonies

In “green” prisons, all power belongs to prisoners who profess Islam. Due to the instability of the situation in the Caucasus at the beginning of the 2000s, the proportion of Muslims in Russian prisons increased. Once in one colony, they unite and begin to demand special conditions for themselves. In addition, Islamic terrorists are spreading their radical views among other prisoners.

“Jamaats” - the leaders of Islamic groups formed in the prison refuse to cooperate with the prison administration. They do not recognize the Russian code of thieves and are guided by their own rules. However, Muslim prisoners still collect money for the common fund. They follow the rules of their faith relentlessly, and this often leads to conflicts with fellow prisoners and guards. At the same time, the “jamaats” will not listen to the imam who came to them with instructions from the outside. For them, only the advice of an imam who has served or is imprisoned in a “green” colony is valuable.

Who gets special treatment?

The most dangerous criminals are kept in special conditions.

Life imprisonment is given for crimes such as:

• aggravated murder;
• rape of a person under the age of 16 by a criminal who has already been convicted of a similar crime;
• terrorist attack;
• etc.

These conditions are assigned to criminals whose actions are directed against the interests of society and human life. Who is given a special regime - persons sentenced to life imprisonment.

Orders in red zones

One of the biggest fears of “correct” criminals is ending up in a “red” colony. There, order and discipline are maintained by prisoners collaborating with the colony administration. For this they receive certain relaxations in the regime. In addition, inside the “red” prison itself there is also a division into sections. For example, prisoners are assigned to the law enforcement, sports, or hygiene and cleanliness sections. Failure to comply with section rules usually results in severe penalties.

In most “red” prisons, arbitrariness reigns on the part of the administration. The slightest offense - an untimely smoke break or a swear word during a round - and the prisoner can end up in a punishment cell. Or they will use other methods of punishment, including assault. They learn about all violations in the administration only from informers - “goats”. And even thieves in law who find themselves in the “red” zone cannot fight them. Here, unlike other prisons, they have no authority. Moreover, thieves in law are often transferred to “red” colonies in order to break their will. They are forced to break the thieves' code and work for the administration. Some agree to cooperate voluntarily, but many have to be broken long and hard.

In the “black” prisons of Russia, completely different laws reign. They are run by thieves in law.

What is a prison, the conditions in it

By prison, current legislation means the most stringent correctional institutions within the penitentiary system. Such institutions provide for the stay of prisoners in mandatory locked cells in conditions of limited space and with significant restrictions on rights. Living conditions in prison are extremely harsh and only persons convicted of particularly dangerous recidivism or repeated malicious violation of the rules of stay in a correctional colony are transferred here.

Prisoners are rarely involved in work in prison - most of the time they are simply in their cells. Given the limited number of prisons in Russia, a situation often arises where the number of beds is two or three times lower than the number of prisoners. All correspondence and broadcasts are subject to mandatory censorship, and if kept in prison under strict conditions, they may be completely prohibited.

At the same time, prisoners in prisons also have the right to be transferred to other correctional institutions, but only to correctional colonies, and not to settlement colonies. The right to walk in prisons may also be absent, as well as the possibility of visits and telephone calls. In addition, the rules of the prison are the strictest. For example, in most prisons, any movement outside the cell is carried out exclusively in handcuffs and in a bent position, to prevent any illegal actions by prisoners and violation of the rules of detention.

In defense of the convicted

But you shouldn’t think that absolutely all convicts are only thinking about maliciously violating the regime of a maximum security colony or attacking someone. There are citizens who commit crimes due to life circumstances, simply because they have not learned to exist differently. Many words have been said about this, in particular, about the fact that the entire penitentiary system of Russia is not suitable for the true correction of convicts, and public rejection of former prisoners prevents even an attempt by a stumbled person to start a new life from scratch.

Society itself, complaining about the behavior of criminals, convicted and already released, pushes them to commit new illegal acts, considering such citizens “the scum of society.”

International Standards for Prisoners

In 1955, the first UN Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders adopted the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. This document is advisory in nature.

According to him, the prison regime should differ minimally from life in freedom, so as not to “kill prisoners’ sense of responsibility and consciousness of human dignity.” Any discrimination should be prohibited in prisons. Men and women, defendants and convicts, juvenile and adult prisoners, first-time prisoners and repeat offenders must be kept separately. Each prisoner is entitled to a separate “cell or room”, and when kept in general cells, a separate bed. The lighting of the cells must allow reading and working “without danger to vision,” and their volume and ventilation must comply with sanitary standards. Toilets must be kept clean and prisoners must have easy access to them. Convicts should be given the opportunity to wash themselves at least once a week, and men should be given the opportunity to shave regularly.

Meals must be regular and “sufficient to maintain health and strength,” and water must be available at all times.

Prisoners should be able to have regular face-to-face contact with family and friends. They must be able to obtain news from the media or “other means controlled by the administration,” and every prison must have a library.

Prisoners are required to work, but their work should not cause suffering and should be “fairly paid.”

When applying disciplinary punishments, cruelty and humiliation of human dignity should be avoided; corporal punishment, placement in “dark cells,” and the use of shackles and chains should be completely eliminated.

All prisons must have a full-time general practitioner and prisoners must receive professional dental care.[3]

Member countries of the Council of Europe, along with this document, are recommended to be guided by the European prison rules. They contain additional requirements compared to the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. For example, there should be enough bathrooms and showers for each prisoner to use them every day if possible, but at least twice a week, and the prison diet should take into account the religious and cultural traditions of the individual prisoner. Prisoners are encouraged to be granted leave with the possibility of release.

You don't have to explain anything to anyone

Once you are in the camera, you will become a source of increased interest. A new person in a cell is always important news in the conditions of a boring and monotonous Zonov life, and therefore you cannot avoid attention from the convicts.

If you are asked who you are, where you are from, under what article you are accused or convicted, and you have no desire to talk about it, then you may well limit yourself, in addition to the standard greeting when entering a cell/barrack, to only your name and article number, also the city, Where are you from. This information will be known to your cellmates anyway; it would be stupid to hide it, but according to prison customs, you have the right to keep the rest of the information to yourself. And in order not to have unnecessary correctional facilities, you should not talk about your past life or the crime you committed.

Also, your cellmates may ask you provocative questions, for example, who are you in life? It is better to answer that you are a decent person. If they ask who a decent person is, then it must be said that this is the one who is responsible for his words and does not betray. Provocative conversations should be avoided whenever possible.

In prison it is very important to show willpower and character. Gotta make your cellmates respect you

Only then will serving your sentence seem relatively calm.

Black Dolphin Prison - The most terrible prison in Russia is HELL

Passing an interview

Recruitment to a colony begins with an interview. Here the applicant is told about basic responsibilities, salary and is asked a few standard questions. For example, they ask about where the person studied/worked before and about plans for the future.

If a candidate is suitable for a position, then after the interview the personnel officer usually tells him about it. Next, the person needs to obtain a certificate of no criminal record. You should order it as early as possible, since it will be ready in about a month.

Since the IC is a closed institution, a citizen will need a one-time pass to get here for an interview. It contains the following information:

• Full name of the candidate for the position;
• visit purpose;
• details of the person responsible for issuing the pass;
• date of issue;
• time of action.

What is the difference between a prison and a colony?

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The first is a general concept. This is an institution that exists to reform people who have committed crimes and need to be isolated.

The rights and freedoms of such offenders are curtailed.

The second is a place to keep people. Most often this is a settlement that has everything:

• place to work;
• place to stay overnight;
• shop;
• administration.

It is worth noting: there is a little more freedom in the colony. But still, the main purpose is to deprive a person of his rights due to violations.

There is a difference:

1. In prison, the attacker is in a locked cell and has no right to leave its territory. Only daily walks under supervision are possible, as well as meetings with family. In the colony there is more freedom of movement. There you can visit work areas and move freely.
2. Classes. People do practically nothing in the cell. They just sit there, waiting for the deadline to expire. Colonies have special work areas where prisoners spend most of the day. Sometimes they are even paid for the successful fulfillment of all obligations;
3. The end result of the conclusion. People are placed in a colony in the hope of reform. Individuals who end up in prison are those from whom you do not expect to admit their guilt or correct their mistakes.
4. Subspecies. The prison is not divided into categories. There is only one of her. While a colony can be of strict and general regimes, as well as correctional, medical or for minors.

In general, both institutions have the same function - to correct the person who committed the offense. Only the conditions of stay are different.

You may be interested in an article about the types of punishment under Article 158 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Theft”.

The most severe room

Punishment cell - punishment cell. The most severe punishment for prisoners serving time in a correctional colony. The conditions for staying in such a place are prescribed in the same article 118 of the Penal Code of the Russian Federation.

A person forced to serve his sentence there is deprived of all the little joys necessary for a prisoner - he is not entitled to visits, phone calls, walks and parcels. It is not allowed to take anything other than the simplest hygiene products from personal belongings in the punishment cell.

Spending money from your personal account on additional food is also prohibited. At the same time, the norms of food provided are reduced compared to usual.

True, the period of stay in the isolation ward cannot exceed fifteen days. Nevertheless, there are many cases when those who especially maliciously violated the rules established in the zone and ignored the penalties of the prison authorities were sent to the punishment cell, term after term.

The isolation room is extremely cramped - on nine square meters there are from two to four bunk “shelves” without any mattresses or blankets. There is either no window or a small barred window right under the ceiling.

At night, the sleeping bunks are leaned against the wall and locked. Sometimes small shelves are attached to the back of them so that the prisoner can sit during the day. In some colonies, these seats are located at an obtuse angle to the wall - this does not allow you to sit down fully, and the person is forced to be in an average position, between sitting and standing.

The only opportunity to change the environment is an hour-long walk once a day, if the management of the correctional institution allows. Often there are several prisoners in a punishment cell and there are not enough bunks for everyone - people have to take turns sleeping. At the same time, prison guards do not allow you to nap during the day.

On our website you can also find out how sentences are served in women's prisons and what types of colonies there are for former employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

“I thought that I would have to fight from the first day”: about the life of a maximum security prisoner - first-hand

Photos were borrowed from the website varlamov.ru with the permission of their author, for which we thank him!

There is some kind of dark humor in this - in the “Stops” section, which is about interesting places and attractions, publish a story about life in prison. Well, where else to put it, on the other hand? No one strives to make such a stop in their life’s journey, but many have to, and these are not only villains and bandits. Our interlocutor Alexey (name changed) is not a thief or a murderer, not a rapist or a swindler. A young Russian guy who, as it happens, has been serving a sentence in one of the Russian colonies under strict regime for four years now. He told “Passenger” about how life is behind bars and whether there is any benefit from such a life - by the way, risking his own safety.

Contact with the will , or 15 days for “VKontakte”

Naturally, we are prohibited from conducting correspondence online. If one of the employees finds out about this interview, I will face 15 days in a punishment cell (punishment cell - approx. “Passenger”

) and a serious search in order to take away everything “extra”. After all, we shouldn’t have access to the Internet or mobile communications at all. To make calls you can use a machine, now they are in every barracks - it’s called Zonatelecom. You apply for a card (you can do it virtually from outside, the main thing is to have a PIN code) and call, but only those numbers are available that are indicated in the application, and it must first be certified. Plus letters and dates. You can only use these means, but why when there are phones and smartphones? Of course, the situation with mobile communications in camps across the country is different, but to one degree or another it is available everywhere. And this is not only convenience, but also business.

We are not required to be kept under constant surveillance 24 hours a day; no guards are enough for that. This is possible when kept in cells, but not in camps. But public events - trips to the canteen, divorce, etc. - are held under the control of employees. In addition, they inspect all facilities (workshops, detachments, any place of work) several times a day, plus they regularly conduct inspections, scheduled and at will. So, when using the phone, you need to be alert. Ideally, watch the entrance through the window. In the squads there are special people for this purpose, who “sit on the chip” all day long for cigarettes or something like that. When an employee approaches, you immediately hide your phone - not in your pocket, of course, but somewhere where they won’t be able to find it in case of a search. For this purpose, triggers are prepared (hides - note by “Passenger”

) in advance.

Life in the zone: expectations and reality

It's definitely not like in the movies. I myself thought that I would have to fight from the first day. When I came here, I prepared myself mentally, but it turned out that there was no need. So far I have swung seriously only once, the rest was in sports sparring. Oh, well, I once beat a rooster with a stick, but that’s the point. On the contrary, it’s almost impossible to fight. Yes, it all depends on the situation, but there is a risk of running into a showdown with thieves - for lawlessness. Here, any measures must be justified and approved. When I had to fight, I was sure that the person would not go anywhere to take it out later, everything was fair. And if you know that someone will go to thieves or garbage, it’s better to just calm down. I generally don’t like to resolve conflicts by force, but I admit that sometimes I want to when I’m tired of everything and everyone. If the trash find out about the collision, they will not look into it, but, most likely, will send both of them to a punishment cell, and who needs that? And it’s not even about the conditions in the punishment cell, what difference does it make, 15 days of the entire sentence is nothing. The reason is that this is entered into the file, and many, including me, want to leave on parole, and such records do not help at all.

As for the thieves, they can give you a few breams, or they can seriously beat you up, and that happens. They pull you in for a conversation, and if no sense comes out of the conversation, then they simply hammer you with stools and bed frames to the point of fractures, etc. But this is for serious reasons. Those who take drugs in prohibited ways are at risk - say, through a transfer window, or engage in unauthorized dealings, or gamble and do not pay off debts.

If no sense comes out of the conversation, then they simply beat him with stools and bed frames to the point of fractures.

Concepts, of course, live, but they are needed to maintain internal order, otherwise there will simply be chaos. If actions do not have consequences, then prisoners will begin to expose each other with their actions and complicate their lives. So there are snoops, and roosters (including “printed” ones), and rats - but these categories appeared long before the appearance of concepts and Russian prisons in general. Snoops usually either tend to “stick” to someone, always behave this way in life, or pay for their own stupidity - debts. Roosters are basically rapists, pedophiles, perverts, everything is clear here. And rather than open hatred towards them, let them clean the toilets and sweep the streets. There are those who were unlucky - they “extinguished themselves”, that is, they chimed with the rooster. Or they took a cigarette from him, or shook hands, or touched someone’s penis, or in some other way. Well, it's your own fault, you have to keep an eye on such things. Rats and bitches choose their own path, and this should not be allowed to remain without consequences. Moreover, all this is determined here, in captivity. That is, no one tracks your previous biography when you are free, and in prison you always have a chance to live like a human being (unless you are a pedophile). It's better to keep the rest to yourself. For example, technically you can fuck a rooster, but I believe that the mere desire to fuck another man in the ass is homosexual, so I don’t do that myself.

About the camp authorities

As for how they talk about coming to the camp: right now this is not the case here. You either accept the rules and get comfortable, or, if you deny, you end up in a punishment cell. Although this is nonsense compared to past times. They can, of course, give you bream sometimes, but the employees are also being renewed, the old-school cruel bosses are leaving. In general, the camps in this area were broken down 6-7 years ago. Before this, there was an “acceptance” when they fucked right away so that they understood where they had ended up. But then the situation was different: drugs, booze, tracksuits for everyday wear, everyone gave a damn. With the new government, everything has become stricter in terms of the regime, but at the same time without harshness from the administration.

Other texts from “Passenger” about people and destinies : “Not to be a victim: how to live, rejoice and travel if you are paralyzed” “I was mistaken for a gypsy or an Azerbaijani: the story of an Indian who grew up in the USSR” “To Pakistan with a child - for six years . The extraordinary story of a family from Moscow” “Strausberg: the Russian ghetto in Germany, or the life of a German schoolgirl”

They address prisoners mostly on a first-name basis, although there are exceptions. Some take this very seriously and are always on friendly terms with those convicted, but these are isolated cases. The authorities (that is, the administration - majors, lieutenant colonels, colonels) are quite arrogant towards the majority of prisoners. And in general they prefer to communicate with prisoners through caretakers, and they often use this for their own purposes. Those of lower rank - key keepers (aka security guards), some squad leaders - behave more simply. This is how things will turn out, with everyone differently - with some it’s just on familiar terms, but with others it’s completely familiar. Here, over time, something like a professional deformation occurs - they become similar to prisoners, only in uniform.

Professional deformation: security guards become like prisoners, only in uniform.

About the red and black zones. Roughly speaking, they differ in that on the Reds the real power is in the hands of the trash, while on the Blacks the order is determined by the thieves. My zone is red, that is, the main thing is to follow the regime or the laws of common sense. Although there are thieves here too, and they have their own weight: they resolve some conflicts between prisoners, monitor the general situation, the game and compliance with unofficial laws and rules. Another thing is that they are all tied up with garbage and, of necessity, solve problems together, because both of them want to live in comfort.

About the camp hierarchy

At each facility in the zone there is a responsible convict and a responsible employee. Formally, such convicts (goats, caretakers, buggers) are not endowed with power, but in fact they have both privileges and power. They are closer to the staff than others, and often communicate with the head of the colony and his deputies. In addition to bonuses, they have responsibilities and responsibilities, including financial ones. Thus, all repairs are carried out at the expense of convicts; the administration is not inclined to spend money on this. There were many scandals associated with these things, I won’t go into details... And how the goat/supply manager/hillock will organize the work process and financial flow is his concern. As is the situation at the facility. I myself, although not a goat, invested in repairs at my work. You just have to do something, but you do something for yourself, for a more comfortable existence. For example, I perform in a club, play the guitar, we have a full-fledged band here, we have all the instruments, but where would these instruments and equipment come from? We brought everything ourselves or those who worked here before. Some from home, some bought by friends or relatives. And if nothing is repaired or brought in, then the administration will definitely notice. And he will either directly point this out to the caretaker, or simply remove him and install another one.

Day after day

A typical day depends on whether you are working or not. If you sit in a detachment all day, there is not much variety: you go outside for checks, visit the canteen, sometimes the bathhouse, the library or the gym. The rest of the time - reading, sleeping, watching TV, sorting things out, playing games, hanging out on the Internet, whatever. I work, so I’m not in the squad that much, mostly in the morning and evening. I live under easy living conditions, sleep on a single-tier shkonar and not in a huge section, but in a small cubicle with a TV. At 6 a.m., the whole squad is already standing on the street - some sort of exercise, or morning formation. Then the usual morning chores - wash, go to breakfast or cook something for yourself in the food room (“kishark”). Then it’s either divorce and work, or a morning check. My job is not dusty, I am in the voluntary fire department. Sometimes there are training alarms, sometimes there are repairs, but mostly I go about my business: reading, sports, chess, etc. Plus - lunch and another check. In the evening, in the detachment you can watch TV (I didn’t do this in the wild, but here it somehow happens naturally), but it’s better to watch something from a flash drive, if you have one. If I don’t go to work on a shift, I spend time at the club: rehearsals or anything else: books, sports, coffee, stupid things. The choice is not that great.

Holidays are celebrated in the zone, but not in a very diverse manner. On your birthday - chifir, tea, coffee and sweets. On New Year's Eve they usually postpone curfew, you can sit for up to an hour or two and make salads. Everything is almost as usual, only without alcohol and adventures, so there’s nothing to talk about.

Remarkable events are usually someone's failures. Just yesterday someone hanged himself because of debts.

There are incidents, but I don’t remember anything good. Remarkable events are usually someone's failures. Just yesterday someone hanged himself because of debts. This happens, in my memory they have already been hanged a couple of times, all because of debts, usually gambling. People sit down to play without having money to pay, but the excitement takes its toll. We jumped from a third-floor window twice (there is simply no higher one), but without a fatal outcome - we simply broke. One because of debts, the other, it seems, just had a leak. One died of stomach cancer; he was taken out of the zone just a few hours before his death. Before that, they took me out for treatment, but they treated something wrong. Well, little by little, it happens that goats get into trouble, this is also interesting, but only if you stew in this mess. Garbage also ends up in such situations; key holders have been caught carrying and using drugs, and reselling confiscated phones. The bosses get bigger, their own security is hunting for them. For example, we got into trouble with the removal of construction materials and fraud with telephone shipments. And the warden may be arrested, I think. There is a reason for anyone. Sometimes convicts with drugs also shoot themselves. Usually they get caught when they share it with someone - everything is as if they were free.

Categories of carers

Since this is a strict regime, they are imprisoned here mainly for selling drugs and murders (intentional and not). 10-15 percent are the remaining articles, there are even a few bribe takers. I’m not sure about typical categories, but I’ll try to highlight a few.

Blue warrior - there are enough of them, these are those who killed someone in a fight or something like that in the blue shop. Nothing interesting; many people in our country can fall into this category sooner or later.

Old bandit - those who have been in prison for 10-20 years, or maybe not so long ago, but for typical crimes of the nineties and 2000s - murders, banditry, possession of weapons, kidnappings, etc. It's interesting to talk to many of them. In general, you somehow expect that a bandit can be immediately distinguished, but in reality this is not the case. Ordinary people, often even intelligent ones.

An ordinary Tajik - some for robbery or murder, but mostly for manipulation with heroin, this is their topic. Everyone, as a rule, did not know anything, they were asked to keep them or take them, and other nonsense.

It's best to be in prison for those who have been in prison since they were very young and don't know any other life.

Pensioners - old people are also sitting, they are trying to shove them together in one group, like a home for the elderly with disabilities.

Drug addicts and hucksters can be roughly divided into “old-school heroin addicts” and “pepsicole new agers”, well, that’s true, it’s easy to laugh. There are many who are imprisoned for murder, but if they had not been imprisoned, they would someday be imprisoned for drugs.

But - I repeat - in general, your article does not mean anything for life here (if it is not rape). People are all different, and here everyone behaves differently, too, which is why it is customary to look at actions, and not at the past.

It’s best to be in prison for those who have been in prison since they were very young and don’t really know much about any other life. There's really nothing to compare it with. They develop all the necessary qualities for a successful life in prison - their own special morality, in which the one who achieves his goal by any means is at his best. And if we talk about character, it would be best for a calm person who understands that there is no point in rushing anywhere. People who are too cheerful and sociable can quickly find friends, but they can end up in an uncomfortable position - saying too much, being seduced by provocation. Some people are too nervous and worry, and it’s especially hard for them in the zone. Others see their emotions and add fuel to the fire, teasing them, purely for fun. But it is seriously difficult to communicate with such sufferers, because they are trying to explain all their worries to you, but who needs that? Everyone here has their own problems. Aggressive characters will also not benefit from their character; conflicts have consequences. It is best to stay calm and act according to the situation, not to hope for a miracle, so as not to get upset. You certainly shouldn’t think about justice; you shouldn’t look for it in prison. If you seek the truth in prison, you will quickly be imprisoned.

What are the prisoners talking about?

Everyone is talking about the same thing - who is interested in what, and the news of the zone, of course, is discussed. As for feni, I’m not good at it, somehow I can live normally without it. So all the most common things come to mind: shkonka, shlenka, dalnyak, office, rat. Fuck knows, I’m not too interested in this, and there’s no strong need. For those who are interested, I recommend finding a dictionary, there are some that I have read myself. I remember being surprised at the existence of a verb that means “to jump out of a car while moving,” I don’t remember the word itself. Previously, it was truly a separate language. Here’s one more observation: already during my sentence, I often came across the word “shkvar” or “shkvarit” on the Internet, but in the zone or in the pre-trial detention center I never heard it at all, literally zero times. We use the word “quench” here. If something is extinguished, then no one except the roosters can touch this item, this is understandable.

I have never heard the words “shkvar” or “shkvar” in the zone or in the pre-trial detention center.

Another stereotype about prison life is tattoos. Yes, it is. They hit, and they hit everything, it all depends on desire and skills. As for themes and plots - somewhere it may be different, but with us - do what you want, within reason. The application technique is the same as in the wild, only the machines are homemade. It’s not difficult to do, I can assemble it myself without any problems: a motor (from a drive, for example), a body from a regular pen, a frame made of wood, aluminum or anything else, a string, a power supply or phone charger, an adjustable resistor (optional), a pair of rubber bands, glue . Nowadays all this is not difficult to collect even in the zone. Someone hits on the prison theme: rings, gaming chaos, icons. I have seen both SS and swastikas from those who previously “denied” (in my opinion, not the best idea for a tattoo), all sorts of inscriptions “got mit uns”, “only God can judge me” - these are all classics. Someone hits whatever comes to mind - as if in freedom.

Prison has everything - truth or myth?

You can often hear that money, drugs, and alcohol are quite accessible in the zone. In general, this is true, again depending on where. Money is not a problem now, before you had to drag it in and hide it, but now all payments are electronic - you open a Qiwi wallet and that’s it. If you have the Internet, you translate it yourself; if not, you call home and ask for it to be translated. There are also a lot of sharpening points, they need to be cut with something, naturally they get kicked off, but it’s not like there’s a direct hunt for them, it seems like prisoners don’t cut each other. They make their own alcohol, they make mash, they make moonshine, I don’t do that, it’s too troublesome, and even if they find it, they’ll have to go to the punishment cell, and I don’t want to drink that much. It’s not that there are drugs, but rather they exist. Sometimes someone gets into trouble with them, sometimes with hashish, sometimes with heroin. Not very often, these are personal initiatives, and they don’t always add time for this, although this does happen. But the risk is still not worth it. I had a chance to indulge during the term - several times with candies with THC from California, once I smoked garika and once I ate several nutmegs. But I don’t strive for this, and the last time was a long time ago. This is not at all the same as in the wild. The environment here is, to put it mildly, dark and depressing, and when you're tipsy, paranoia and all that prevails. Well, to hell with it, I didn’t get caught and that’s good.

How time has changed me

I have more time. I spend it on sports, self-development, reading. Plus I box, learn languages, study music, even juggle a little, so I learned something, this is definitely a positive side. In terms of spiritual changes, it’s hard to say. Maybe I've become calmer. Perhaps I now care less about the opinions of others. It seems like I know what I want from life, and I have some plans, but it will all be clear when I’m free. He's probably become more patient. But it’s like with appearance - when you see yourself in the mirror every day, it’s not so easy to notice how you have changed over several years, so I see myself and my thoughts every day, and it’s not for me to judge how I have changed or not.

And the fact that correctional colonies do not correct anyone is a fact, in our country nothing is being done for this, this is purely punishment. Everything ultimately depends on you. If you want to change your life, then you will correct in yourself what you consider necessary, and if you can only complain about circumstances, then nothing will help you.

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Prisoner statistics by country

Main article: List of countries by prison population

Number of prisoners per 100,000 citizens by country, 2012

According to some estimates, at least 9.25 million people were incarcerated worldwide in 2006.[6] However, the actual number of prisoners may be much higher, since reliable data are not available from a number of countries, especially those with authoritarian political regimes.

In absolute terms, the United States of America currently leads in the number of prisoners; In this country, over 2.19 million[7], or more than one in every hundred adults[8], are incarcerated. Although the US population is less than 5% of the world's, about 20% of people behind bars are in American prisons.

The United States of America also has primacy in the proportion of citizens behind bars: as of October 2006, 738 people out of every hundred thousand were serving time, were detained on suspicion of committing a crime, or were in custody awaiting trial[9]. The cost of housing prisoners varies across states in the United States. In New York State in 2010, the cost of housing one prisoner per day was $210.[10]

In Russia in October 2006, there were 869,814 people in prison, or 611 prisoners per 100,000 population.[6] As of February 1, 2014, 674.1 thousand people were kept in institutions of the penal system (penal system), 1859 people were serving life sentences

Regimes of detention in penitentiary institutions

In general, almost all penitentiary institutions provide for the separation of prisoner detention regimes for correctional and incentive purposes. First of all, such regimes are used for correctional colonies and prisons, but in a certain form they can take place in pre-trial detention centers or colony settlements.

The prisoner’s living conditions and the rights he has depend on the regime of detention. In general, the following three types of maintenance regime can be distinguished:

• Light mode. This is provided for correctional colonies of all types and involves reducing restrictions on the number of visits, telephone calls, and spending funds from personal accounts. This regime is provided to prisoners who demonstrate exemplary behavior and do not violate labor or other procedures for serving their sentence. It is not used in pre-trial detention centers and prisons, but in colony-settlements it may simply have the form of other additional benefits and preferences from the management, consisting, for example, in the right to live outside the territory of the colony-settlement, but in a neighboring locality. In all types of institutions where such a regime is applied, accommodation in dormitories with other prisoners is provided.
• General mode. This regime means the standard regime for serving a sentence for a given institution, assigned in accordance with the general procedure. It is from the general regime that the transfer is made to light or strict. In correctional colonies, persons serving a general regime sentence live in dormitories.
• Strict regime. A strict regime means special conditions of detention for prisoners who pose a public danger or violate the established procedure for serving a sentence, evading labor duties and committing offenses on the territory of a correctional institution. Under a strict regime of serving a sentence, accommodation is carried out in locked premises without the right to freely leave them, as well as with restrictions on other rights available to prisoners.

Important fact

In addition to the three different regimes of detention, there are also additional measures of influence on prisoners associated with changes in their regime of residence and detention. These include a punishment cell, which provides for the separate detention of a prisoner in solitary confinement in a pre-trial detention center. Or - a punishment cell (punishment cell) in correctional colonies, the conditions of which are close to prison ones.

Description and characteristics

Colonial settlements

Representatives of the executive branch understand that it is dangerous to choose a preventive measure for persons who have committed a violation of the law by mistake or for the first time, with those who are serving a sentence for acts related to serious violations of the law.

Therefore, colony settlements were created specifically for these purposes.

This type of punishment is used in cases where conditional restriction of freedom or release from punishment is unacceptable .

This form of punishment resembles life in society, but with a number of restrictions. They are most evident in the supervision of prisoners.

In other words, such an environment contributes to the correction of the behavior of guilty persons, but without the excessive restrictions imposed in prison. This allows them to feel social while still being disciplined .

The main task of such a restriction of a citizen’s actions is to push the imprisoned citizen to self-discipline and adaptation in society.

The most lenient detention is carried out in a specialized institution, that is, a settlement colony.

There are people who have committed criminal acts that cause minor damage or who observe high discipline in other prison regimes, who, by a special decision emanating from the commission, were subsequently transferred and then delivered to more benign conditions for the detention of convicted persons.

Features of long-term serving of a sentence in a penal colony are:

• free movement during the daytime;
• lack of security, while order is maintained by the settlement administration;
• travel outside the colony for study or work is allowed;
• the ability to change clothes and carry personal valuables;
• exists in unlimited numbers, both dates and transfers;
• Dormitories do not have bars installed on windows.

If the convicted person has a family, there is a relaxation: with the permission of the management of the correctional institution, it is allowed to rent a house built on the territory of the institution.

However, access for inspectors will be provided within 24 hours.

Excursion to the colony-settlement:

General regime prisons

The general regime is stricter than the conditions for housing in a colony settlement. The following persons may be placed in it:

• men who have been sentenced for the first time or people who have not previously been imprisoned;
• women who have committed an unlawful act repeatedly.

previously served time in colonies with a softer regime, but due to unfavorable behavior, violated the law, are also placed here

By a court verdict, they are placed in a colony, which lives under the conditions of a general regime.

The quality of life in prison depends on the conditions of detention. They are divided into ordinary, strict-looking, and lightweight .

Initially, the prisoner is held on the basis of general conditions, but after 6 months, if he shows exemplary behavior, then there is a chance to receive light detention.

Another option is possible: if discipline is violated, then accommodation will be established under worse conditions.

Colonial settlements are located throughout Russia , both in the central part and in other regions.

General regime colonies are located in Kolomna in the Kolychevo microdistrict, in Moscow, Lgov and many other cities.

Strict confinement

There is also a mode for punishment called "strict". For those who know nothing about its conditions, it is necessary to first explain for what crimes the court chooses such a punishment.

Men who have committed serious crimes or those whose actions have been recognized as a relapse .

The difference between a strict regime and a general regime is in the terms of detention, as well as the conditions of convicts’ stay.

It also has three types of detention : light, general and strict conditions, but the period for establishing one of them is not six months, but nine.

Special room or barracks

PKT – stands for cell-type premises; it is used in correctional colonies, both general and strict regime. It is located directly on the territory of the colony, in contrast to the EPKT - a single cell-type room. This type of cell is already considered an independent penitentiary institution, and prisoners are sent there in stages.

Violators of the regulations are accommodated in PKT and EPKT with several people per room. The former name of the PKT was a high-security barracks, that is, BUR. In some colonies this name was retained as an unofficial name.

According to Article 118 of the Penal Code of the Russian Federation, residents of a cell room have the right to only one parcel and one parcel every six months. In one month, a prisoner in a PKT can spend only five thousand rubles from his account. One and a half hours a day is the duration of a walk for a person sentenced to PCT or EPCT. Sometimes the head of the colony can increase this time to three hours if the prisoner approximately complies with the internal rules of the correctional institution.

The furnishings of the PKT are modest - folding beds and benches, according to the number of inhabitants of the room, a table firmly attached to the floor, and a bathroom behind a meter-long partition. The walls are covered with a layer of light-colored plaster, and the floor has wooden flooring on top of concrete. Access to the window is blocked by a fine-mesh steel grille; heating radiators and lamps are located in niches fenced off with the same mesh.

Cases of escape from prisons

Penitentiary institutions are fenced with a multi-level security perimeter: guard towers and impenetrable concrete walls with barbed wire. Special precautions are also taken in the premises located within the camp. But, nevertheless, escapes happen:

• Undermining
  . Movie plots have real life stories. For example, in 2014, in IK-19, near Irkutsk, five prisoners made a tunnel from a workshop in an industrial zone (the length exceeded 30 m);
• I filed it
  . Metal hacksaws brought from the industrial area are used to cut window bars. Blankets thrown over it help you climb over the barbed wire;
• Transport
  . The fugitives hide in industrial waste, such as wood shavings, and successfully escape from the zone using vehicles.

Differences between a prison and a colony

Read our other articles from this section:

• How to find out where the convicted person is sitting?
• Types of torture used in prisons.
• .

Thus, prisons and colonies are correctional institutions of different types, differing from each other both in the conditions of detention of prisoners and in the general focus of serving their sentences.

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Literature

• Arrest houses // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
• Gubsky M.F., Davydov E.
  Prison // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
• Aleksushin G.V.
• Emma Goldman
• Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia: encyclopedia. M.: Ed. editorial office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Olma-press, 2002.
• Lozovsky V.
  . - ADEF-Ukraine, 2010. - ISBN 978-966-187-070-2.
• Azhippo V. A. Don’t renounce... The whole truth about prison.
• Starostin Dmitry.
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  - Ultra.Culture, 2005. - ISBN 5-9681-0024-9. ( memoirs of the author, who spent five years in an American prison
  ).
• : textbook / V. G. Stukanov. – Minsk: Acad. Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic Belarus, 2013. – 395 p.