“A colony is better than a boarding school”: the underside of the governor’s initiative to lead excursions to the pre-trial detention center was revealed

Not the fact that such an institution will scare someone

On the one hand, the idea is very good. After all, if officials are frequent guests in pre-trial detention centers and colonies, then the conditions of detention, perhaps, will improve there. At the same time, it is not a fact that such excursions will have a preventive effect (criminologists have not come to an unambiguous conclusion here). On the other hand, will the rights of prisoners not be violated if they come to stare at them like animals in a zoo?

The MK observer, a member of the HRC, looked into the possible consequences of the initiative.

The Governor of the Leningrad Region Alexander Drozdenko is a progressive, creative and creative person. But even from him they did not expect such a bold idea – to lead excursions to the pre-trial detention center and the colony, which he expressed at the operational meeting. Yes, and this is no longer just an idea – Drozdenko instructed to organize excursions, that is, the matter remained small. In general, according to the law, officials do not have the right to visit “places not so separated.” But there is almost no doubt that the Federal Penitentiary Service will not refuse them.

I must say that many years ago (in the late 90s) tours of the SIZO in Moscow were organized for judges and prosecutors. But these events had one task: to show the conditions in which prisoners are kept there. After such visits, the number of arrests in Belokamennaya dropped sharply.

“The judges were shocked by the conditions of detention,” said human rights activist Andrei Babushkin, one of the organizers of such an “action”. “They admitted to me that they didn’t even think about what it was like for the people who were sent there.” In general, the goal at that time was achieved. But for a short time. When the Moscow pre-trial detention centers began to overflow again (already in modern Russia), even some leaders of the FSIN system took the initiative to bring servants of Themis and prosecutors there. But they politely declined the opportunity.

In the case of officials, the purpose of excursions, apparently, is quite different. As the governor of the Leningrad region said, this will be an “additional preventive measure” so that officials realize the measure of responsibility and the fact that there have not been and will not be “untouchables” in the country. That is, the task is to scare the bureaucratic tribe and thereby prevent possible crimes – bribery, embezzlement, abuse of power, etc.

“In criminology, there is indeed a hypothesis that visiting a correctional facility and communicating with prisoners can serve as a way to influence a criminal setting,” says criminologist Danil Sergeev. – That is, they showed the prison to a man, he got scared and did not commit a crime. There was a study (not in Russia) on the effectiveness of visiting programs. His results were mixed. The problem is that the convicts are in the colony as at home. And it is unethical in relation to them to take excursions there. It’s not a zoo. Obviously, such excursions violate their rights and even discriminate (someone does not want to be seen there). The second point is who will ensure the safety of the “tourists” and control that they do not carry prohibited items (say, telephones) behind the barbed wiring? This will be an additional burden on the staff of the FSIN. And the third point is that many prisons now have good conditions and logistical support. Surely the Federal Penitentiary Service will lead to exemplary, advanced institutions. Will such a prison scare? I recently arranged for students to visit an educational colony. And they noticed that teenagers live much better there than in a boarding school. They do not understand that there is a strict routine, etc. They do not see this, but only see the infrastructure, which seems quite acceptable. So such excursions, on the contrary, can be a factor contributing to getting into these places.

For me, it’s still useful to conduct such excursions, but not to scare, but to show officials the realities. After all, prison is a cross section of society. If the sovereigns talk to the prisoners, they will understand a lot about the level of education, upbringing, unemployment, social conditions and away and away in their region. Better and more honest than criminals, no one will tell them about it.