Who comes up with prison clothes: sometimes prisoners sit naked

– Danil, uniforms for convicts appeared simultaneously with the first prisons?

– Actually, yes. And here it is very interesting to immerse yourself in history. The idea of ​​a prison, which arose in the third quarter of the 18th century, copies the essence of a monastery. It is not for nothing that the ancient name of the “correctional” monastery – penitentiary – has been adopted as a general designation for prison systems. Monastic cells (in Latin – cella) became the prototype of cells (in English – cell), and the first prison regulations were drawn up on the basis of monastic regulations. There are also uniforms in monasteries. The Rule of St. Benedict (VI century) says: “In the monastery, he no longer has power over his body, not only over some things. Immediately in the temple he takes off his clothes and dresses in monastery clothes. His former clothes are kept in junk, so that if, at the instigation of the devil, he decides to leave the monastery, he will be cast out of it in them.” And here’s another quote: “The Abba (i.e., the abbot) must often inspect the beds so that no one gets into anything unnecessary. If someone else has anything that he did not receive from the Abba, subject him to the most severe penance.”

– Doesn’t it remind you of anything?

— Internal regulations of a pre-trial detention center or colony.

– Exactly! When a convict is admitted to a colony or prison, his civilian clothes (and in the pre-trial detention center they are in “free” clothes) are transferred to the warehouse (at St. Benedict’s – to the “junk” one), and in return they are given uniforms of the established sample. Previous clothes are issued upon release. Today, disciplinary action is imposed for violating the dress code (Benedict speaks of penance, from the Greek word ἐπιτῑμία – punishment).

In this sense, the prison uniform serves as a symbol of the beginning of a new life, the equality of convicts: the poor and the oligarch, the educated and the illiterate, the former minister and the former janitor wear the same clothes.

– That is, it is impossible to do without a uniform form in principle?

– Probably not. All explanations boil down to one thing: ensuring security, preventing escapes. Remember the “gentlemen of fortune” from the film of the same name, who escaped from prison in a tank of cement mortar. The first thing they needed was to find new clothes. The uniform distinguishes convicts from the mass of people and serves as a kind of distinctive sign. In some cases, a uniform can actually help to quickly identify a runaway in a crowd. But not more. It does not perform any other functions.

– How much has the form changed ten years ago?

– The most important thing is that the famous “striped stripe”, which certain categories of convicts had to wear, was abolished. Black robes of summer and winter styles appeared for men, green ones for women. Men wear a headdress with a visor, and women wear hats, scarves and scarves. The original “experimental” version of the uniform did not have pockets, but this idea was later abandoned.

Although the striped uniform is no longer there, stripes of white reflective material remain – one each on a cap, a women’s hat, a jacket, sweaters and pants.

– What about the inscriptions on the backs (jackets and sweatshirts)? “PLS” or “SUS”?

– Although there is no mention of this in Order of the Ministry of Justice No. 216, the letters “PLS” or the word “For Life” are written on the backs of the jackets of those sentenced to life imprisonment. I’m not sure that this is practiced in all colonies for lifers, but where I was, there are such inscriptions. Previously they wrote “PZh”, hence the word “wad”, which is used by some FSIN employees to refer to life-sentenced prisoners. “SUS” or “SUON” – denotes strict conditions of detention for serving a sentence.

-In some women’s colonies, convicts who are undergoing professional supervision wear headscarves that differ in color. How legal is this?

– Perhaps this is what the orders of the DSP prescribe (for official use). Profuchet belongs to the field of operational work, and there are quite a lot of documents that are not published (legally). But maybe this is the initiative of local operatives. In the sociology of prison there is the concept of “stigmatization” – whatever you call the ship, so it will sail. They marked the convicted person with a headscarf; she will always be visible, but she will also behave accordingly. In the 90s, the stigmatizing term “recidivist” was abandoned for precisely this reason. For many authorities in the criminal world, it was like an honorary title. I wouldn’t experiment with scarves. Moreover, this makes little practical sense. Until the mid-19th century in Russia, convicts were branded with the letters “KAT” on their faces and half their heads were shaved. And even earlier, nostrils were torn out, ears were cut off – to stand out from the general mass. Multi-colored scarves, of course, are difficult to compare with torn out nostrils, but still.

– In one of the Kirov pre-trial detention centers, I saw multi-colored uniforms in the cells of the pre-trial detention center – orange, yellow, pink, light green. Prisoners complained that they were dressed up as clowns. Isn’t this prohibited by law?

– Surprisingly, this is the first time I’ve heard about this. The documents do not require changing clothes for punishment cells and punishment cells. Especially in clothes of an unapproved sample. There’s clearly a whiff of amateurism here. In one of the correctional institutions I saw that the convicts in such premises were wearing jackets with the inscription “Philosophy”. Whether this makes sense, I don’t know. It is unlikely that they will “mix” with others.

-Who designs prison clothes?

– In Russia there is a special institution for this – the Ivanovo branch of the Research Institute of Information and Production Technologies of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia. The first prototypes are being sewn there.

It is interesting that there is such a science – uniformology or uniform studies. She studies workwear of different types and for different tasks. It’s time, it seems to me, that penitentiary studies should be “spun off” from this science.

– You have visited prisons in fifty countries around the world. Were the prisoners in uniform everywhere?

– Everywhere convicts wear special clothing. But, for example, convicts in Scandinavia who characterize themselves positively are entirely dressed in civilian clothes. Perhaps this is also a uniform, but closer to life. In Brazil, in the prisons of the ARAS association (a non-state system where convicts are transferred under an agreement to carry out religious and moral work with them), they wore civilian clothes, and in state prisons they wore light suits. In Vietnam, prisoners are given hats while they work. In African prisons, flip-flops are used as footwear.

– Tell us which form you remember most (and maybe even really surprised or shocked you).

– Mostly bright colors – orange, yellow, red. In some American prisons you can still find the striped fish. The wildest one is in the new prison in El Salvador. The convicts wear only long breeches. They are naked to the waist – no T-shirts. By the way, they are not given underwear.

– Some psychologists believe that prisoners should have a choice – that is, they should be offered at least two types of uniforms. Is it really important to choose?

– Maintaining individuality can help resocialize. So I support the idea of ​​giving choice (to the extent possible in isolation).

– What would be, in your opinion, the ideal uniform for prisoners – both women and men?

– I agree with Valentina Matvienko, not made of silk. Clothing should be practical, comfortable, appropriate for the season and weather conditions. I think that under the given conditions it is possible to provide for a choice of clothing for the convicted person, and the clothing itself can be brought closer to civilian clothes to the extent that this does not contradict the interests of security.

– Besides the uniform, what else do you think is important in prison that influences the condition of the convict?

– Architecture! For the most part, prisons are built without any attention to their architecture (with rare exceptions, such as, say, the old “Crosses” in St. Petersburg). It is as if the prison is not given the right to be an architectural space. There are several reasons for this. I think the first of them is our attitude towards those behind bars: “out of sight, out of mind.” The “prison population” is not considered part of society. In the minds of a significant portion of people, prison must be bad, scary and dirty.

Secondly, correctional colonies are usually the product of departmental construction, or even worse, of the “economic method”, when the convicts themselves built buildings under the leadership of the boss.

– What about modern prisons? They are definitely built by professionals.

– But it is obvious that open architectural competitions are not held. The key for the modern prison builder is to stay within budget and build a functional structure that meets the challenge of safe isolation. Gray walls, small windows and other “charms” of a typical prison fully correspond to this functionality. I have been to new modern prisons, but there is little or no architecture in them.

Meanwhile, the artificial environment around us directly affects our subconscious. Once, while walking with a colleague in St. Petersburg, I heard the phrase: “If I had been born surrounded by such beautiful buildings, I probably would have been different.” This is a truth that also applies to prison. Architecture can and does change people.

Now let’s remember the peeling walls of the cell – how will they affect the one who is in prison?

– Are there architectural attributes that could elevate and ennoble a person who finds himself behind bars?

– The closer architecture is to ordinary life, the better. It is clear that in cell conditions this is impossible, but when placed in dormitories it is quite possible. For example, in the Kirovograd Military Command they used to live in barracks. After large-scale reconstruction, convicts live in cubicles. It’s more convenient for everyone.

I note that some features of the organization of prison life give rise to internal contradictions.

– What do you have in mind?

– Let’s start with safety and reducing the rate of relapse. In prison, this is ensured by barbed wire, bars, video surveillance and numerous other means. But such unfriendly prison architecture can have a negative impact on its inhabitants.

Go ahead. Prisons are built as places of isolation. Is it possible, in a place aimed at isolating the individual, to teach a person to respect society and its laws?

The following: an objective assessment of the behavior of the convicted person by the staff.

Ideally, staff should observe the personality of the convicted person to assess his progress towards correction. Is it possible to see a convict as a person with social and psychological needs and characteristics in a cell or in an artificial environment that is not similar to ordinary life? Is it possible to extrapolate an assessment of life in an artificial environment to an assessment of the prospects for behavior outside this environment? “This is a good convict, he makes his bed beautifully and correctly” – perhaps only conclusions of this kind can be drawn in the existing conditions of isolation.

– Do iron doors, bars, division into local zones also interfere with re-education?

“They are meant to protect, but often only promote violence.” Beating and raping behind closed doors is much easier. Here we are primarily talking about the convicts themselves, who are inclined to resolve conflicts with their fists. Moreover, isolation, especially long-term isolation, embitters a person. A good socio-psychological atmosphere is difficult to create in the current prison conditions. I have often heard from those serving life sentences that they practically do not communicate with their cellmates and often simply hate each other. Will long-term conditions of living in hatred even towards a neighbor lead to correction?

– Prisoners, in fact, in prisons are deprived of the right to be themselves.

– This is true. Uniform clothing, life according to a strict schedule (remember the debate between “night owls” and “larks” – they exist only in freedom), standard food without the right to choose, air and light are in short supply. Prison teaches you to survive in the worst living conditions. Is this the goal? Will it help a person improve? I think that sooner or later this prison practice will become obsolete throughout the world.