Most prisoners in Russian colonies have the right to long visits with close relatives. Their number depends on the type of regime, but no more than four times a year. Since the FSIN very often sends prisoners to serve their sentences thousands of kilometers from their places of residence, for loved ones the visit begins with a long, difficult trip. However, the physical difficulties are not comparable to the psychological and moral humiliation that the relatives of the convicted are subjected to when crossing the threshold of the colony. We publish testimonies of three women who came to visit their sons at OIK-36 (union of correctional colonies) in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
Maria Petrova(name and surname have been changed for ethical reasons and for the safety of prisoners): “OIK-36 is a union of three colonies. Under one fence is a tuberculosis colony, special regime, strict regime. Rooms for long meetings are the same for everyone. From the 1st to the 10th - tuberculosis patients go. At our colony No. 5, where my son is imprisoned, visits begin from the 16th to the 30th. Nobody knows whether they treat the premises after tuberculosis patients or not. But we are all afraid of getting infected.
In all colonies Russian Federation Visiting rooms are scheduled in advance. The prisoner wrote a statement, wants to go on a date, he was allowed and they tell him the days when the date will be. He has the opportunity to call his parents and let them know. And people go, knowing that their son has permission and if the prisoner did not end up in the punishment cell, then the meeting will take place at the appointed time.
And there is no order here. Everyone arrives in unison. And I arrived exactly on the 16th, but only got a date on June 18th. There are 13 rooms, about 20 parents arrive, 13 people are let through, seven are told: “Go home.” Relatives travel for a whole week to get to this date. If you come from another city, they let you in, but they refuse to let the locals in, supposedly making some kind of concession. But this is not a way out, right?
How does all this happen? You arrive there at 6 a.m. and get in line. Around 9 o'clock the inspector comes, brings printed forms, you write a statement. Then we wait until one o'clock in the afternoon, until three o'clock in the afternoon. Although this day is already going on like a date. They are supposed to bring the prisoners at 9-10 o'clock, and we just arrived at about three o'clock in the afternoon. And you are not going empty-handed. You drag your bags there. Before you get to the visiting room, you walk into a huge room with tables and they tell you, “Get your groceries out of your bag.” And I had 13 bags. On dates, the number of products is not limited. If a transfer is required to a prisoner, then 20 kg can be taken to the zone.
You get everything, everything, everything onto the table. On this huge, long barracks table, three female inspectors simultaneously check three arrivals. I saw one mother, they launched her in front of me, and she became excited: “What are you doing, you monsters?!” Why did you turn everything upside down?” A man goes on a date for three days, he has his own items, toiletries, hygiene products, shampoo, toothpaste... And, imagine, they forced it all to be poured into plastic bags.
That is, it doesn’t matter - for yourself, for the prisoner, shampoos, creams, toothpaste - pour everything into a plastic bag.
Moreover, you need to bring plastic bags with you; the colony does not provide them. Everyone already knows and carries a roll.
And this mother says: “What am I going to do with this shampoo?” And the employee answers her: “Well, make a hole in this plastic bag and pour it into the bottle again.” She says: “And the tooth…” - “Well, it’s okay, you can clean it through the bag.” This is what you spend money on so that they can all be dumped into bags?!
Vegetables - everything is cut. They also have some kind of wooden sticks, they use them to pierce tomatoes. Then they start rummaging through the condensed milk with these sticks, then pouring this condensed milk into bags, honey is also poured into bags.
On the table there is a dirty rag and one board on which to cut... Soap is cut with one knife, meat is cut with the same knife, vegetables are cut with the same knife... Then the knife is wiped with a dirty rag and thrown on the table again. I had pills that I needed to take every day, so they tore this whole box apart, let her rummage through it.
I say: “Lord, is it really impossible to do an X-ray at an institution like the FSIN, where such money is found, like at the airport?!”
Bags are leaking. Still, they carry meat to cook during these three days, to feed the child with normal food, and to eat themselves. Starting from March, smoked sausage is not accepted, only raw smoked sausage is accepted. Raw smoked food doesn’t cost a ruble, but there are retired mothers. Then the meat is raw smoked in vacuum packages... They let them cut it all. And everything is depressurized. Plus, you’re also carrying things. And then they say: “Gather everything!” - and with his hands he pushes into one pile - clothes, bed, tomato, sausage, everything cut up. And then you stand there for an hour, figuring out what to put where. We grabbed it and carried it to the meeting room.”
Irina Sidorova: “All the products were cut - the sausage was cut in a vacuum, the cucumbers and tomatoes were pierced. They cut tomatoes, cucumbers, and sausage with one knife, and dipped wooden sticks into yoghurts and mixed them in bottles. We brought meat and raw smoked sausage. I asked about meat - yes, it can be done in a vacuum. It has a shelf life of a month, but after opening - three days. Imagine, we were there for three days. My pension is 10 thousand, my husband’s is 13 thousand. We didn’t have a refrigerator in the meeting room, and it was all gone. And all the tomatoes and cucumbers that were pierced and cut - everything was gone, worth more than two thousand products. But, excuse me, we count every penny.”
Andrey Babushkin
Human rights activist, member of the Human Rights Council
“These cutting and piercing actions of the colony staff are illegal. Yes, we can talk about random checks if there is information about the possibility of bringing in prohibited items. Total damage to objects, which leads to them losing their consumer qualities or deteriorating faster, is an abuse of right.
Maria Petrova: “While I was collecting my things, the mothers, who had already gone to the visiting rooms, shouted: “What are you doing?!” Are you completely crazy?!” I later understood why they were shouting.
We go into the meeting room. Each inspector has video recorders on his chest. The female inspector says to me: “Let’s go into the room.” Let's go to the room. She says, “Strip naked.” I say: “Please tell me, is what you are saying now legal?” She: “This is a restricted area, this is an order, this is legal. You might be bringing something in."
And she made me take off my dress, my swimming trunks, rip the pads, lift my chest, raise my stomach, let down my hair, and sit down. Other mothers said that they were forced to spread their buttocks.
In front of us, a woman was driven to hysterics. Some strange gynecologist examined her, as if he was looking for something, and then she had a heart attack, they called an ambulance. If you don’t agree to such an examination, you will be deprived of a visit.
I told the employee: “Are you searching me with the DVR turned on, and is there someone watching on that wire?” She replied: “Well, let's not argue. Take off your shoes." I'm filming. And I had very expensive shoes, and in them, where the heel is, there is a heart on the inside of the insole, it is sewn in, and it gives softness to my feet. She says: “Oh, what is this? What are you carrying?" I grabbed this shoe and let’s dig out this heart with my finger. I say: “What are you doing?! The shoes cost more than forty thousand, if you damage them now, you’ll pay.” She holds the shoe: “Yes, wow, the shoes are so expensive! Haute couture? But we also wear Yudashkin’s uniforms!” I say: “Well, you’ll wear it for life!”
Irina Sidorova: “I was subjected to such humiliation... I am 59 years old, I am a respected person in my village, and my dignity was simply trampled upon. What all this cost me, no one knows except my husband. It was June 18th. They took me into a room, and the employee patted me down. She said: “Take off your clothes.” I say: “What, should I take off my dress?” She said to take everything off and stay naked. She sat and watched me undress, how I unbuttoned my dress and took it off, like a bra, and took off my swimming trunks. Well, excuse me, of course, I use pads every day. “Show me, peel me off.” I made this gasket come off. Then she made me turn around naked from all sides, told me to lift my breasts... I suffered so much, it was such a humiliation for me. This is horror, this is horror...
I don’t know the name of the employee who undressed me. She's stocky, plump, dark hair short. She is 40 years old.
Did I tell the colony staff that their actions were illegal? When you go on a date with your son, you don’t think that you will be humiliated. They all have DVRs on their chests. I was told that this video was later watched in the colony. One grandmother, who came to visit her grandson, was forced to sit down naked, and then she could not get up.
And the husband was searched by a male employee. He simply ran the device along the body, and that’s it. No one stripped naked. Only women were subjected to such humiliation.
Then, when at the exit everyone was indignant and demanded that the head of IK-5 colony Eremin come out, I told him, exaggerating, of course: “I had to wave a gasket in front of my nose.” Of course she was rude. There was a lot of indignation from everyone. And he stands: “I can’t do anything. We have had cases of drug trafficking. Write to Moscow." I say, “Why can’t you do anything? What do you suspect me of? An inspection is an inspection, but you carried out the search with bias. Maybe someone else can restore order here, since you can’t?”
Andrey Babushkin
Human rights activist, member of the Human Rights Council
— A full search is provided for convicts when there are sufficient grounds to believe that the person has prohibited items or items seized from circulation in the colony. The same actions against relatives are completely illegal, since relatives are not persons serving sentences. And if there is reason to believe that a relative has hidden some prohibited item on himself, for example, drugs, of course, the administration has the right to organize such a search, but this is within the framework of either an operational search activity or as part of a criminal case. There is a criminal case - there is a search. There is no criminal case or there is no information that is the basis for initiating a case - there is no search. If this is done simply as a preventive measure, no matter what happens, then in this case the actions of the administration fit either into a disciplinary offense or into a criminal offense under the article on abuse of official powers.
If everyone who came on a date was searched, then in this case There can be no talk of any operational measures. This is a mockery of people.
Maria Petrova: “Now about the size of the visiting room. Two or three go on a date with the convicted person. The width of the room is 1.5 meters, the length is 2.90. There are two locally made beds with a mattress on which 150 people died: width - 60 cm and length - 1.87 meters. And how can three or four fit in there? As a result, my husband slept on the sofa in the hallway, half bent. There are bars in the room and the windows don't open at all. We were suffocating there. Instead of curtains, there are plastic curtains for the bathroom.
Photo: photoXPress People began to complain that food was spoiling because refrigerators were not working. There are only two stoves working, all the bathrooms are clogged. In the kitchen there is a huge 100-liter plastic tank without a lid, waste is thrown into it, and it sits there day and night. The stench is terrible.
We walked back after three days. At the exit to the zone, the prisoners' food is again checked to see who is entitled to receive the 20 kilograms. At our entrance, all these products were checked, everything was dumped on this dirty table, and the cut products that had already been checked at the entrance were cut again - here is this depressurized sausage lying in a non-working refrigerator, which is already all glued together...
Meat that has already disappeared. Honey, condensed milk, everything is pierced again, poured from bag to bag, the same procedure goes back, and the products turn into pig swill, into mush.
I watched all this and said: “Girls, what are you doing, why are you doing this? This costs money, pensioners bought it with their last money.” And they told me: “That’s how it’s supposed to be.”
Well, after our boys were released, they started checking us again. Again we have to dump everything, right down to our dirty underwear.”
Tamara Ivanova(name changed for ethical reasons and for the safety of prisoners): “The employee told me to put everything in my bag on the table. I posted it. And in a small bag I had dirty panties. She asks: “What do you have here?” I say: “Excuse me, there was nowhere to wash them, it’s dirty.” underwear" She: “Open it.” Well, I freaked out, opened it and threw it all right on the table.”
Maria Petrova: “On the way back they harassed me specifically so that I would not take a complaint from someone. I say: “Tell me what you are looking for, maybe I’ll give it to you.” She rummages through my papers and says: “Maybe you stole our dishes.” All the laundry is dirty, the pads in the box are turned over, the bottom of the bag is almost broken, every little thing, every corner is checked. Then they say: “Come into the room, we will check you. People generally went too far. Again under the camera, show again in the same way, tear the pads, spread your buttocks, lift your chest, lift your stomach, let your hair down...
You come out of there like you’ve been raped, you know, in the literal sense of the word.”
Irina Sidorova: “When we went back, we also shook everything up, shook out every rag, shook out all the documents. My son received a document from the European Court English language. He says: “Mom, I know what is written here, but I need a literal translation,” and he gave me this paper. They took it from me and said: “It’s in a foreign language, I can’t give it to you.” I say: “Will you take it for yourself?” - She: “Yes, I’ll leave it here.” It’s strange: it means that since it’s a foreign language, I can’t stand it? I gave it to them."
Well, roughly speaking, can a police officer shoot? Maybe. But when a killer with a machine gun comes at him. And if he sees a boy in the sandbox who has spilled sand past the sandbox and refuses to remove the sand, he cannot shoot at him...
Afterword
The Krasnoyarsk zones are not unique in their desire to humiliate women who come on a date with their relatives. Visitors were subjected to biased searches in colonies Sverdlovsk region and Udmurtia. One of the women, who went through a humiliating body search in Udmurtia, turned to local human rights activists in January of this year and wrote a complaint to the prosecutor's office. In his response, the prosecutor fully justified the actions of the colony employees, referring to a certain order of the Ministry of Justice dated March 20, 2015 No. 64-dsp “On the procedure for conducting searches and examinations in correctional institutions of the penitentiary system and adjacent territories where security requirements are established,” according to before a long visit, a full search is mandatory. “A full search is carried out with the removal of clothing (with the exception of underwear, which is subject to inspection without its complete removal), headdress and shoes,” the prosecutor said in the response, citing the order of the Ministry of Justice.
Human rights activists refer to another order of the Ministry of Justice - No. 268-dsp of August 25, 2006, which allows personal searches of relatives who arrived for long date, only if they are suspected of bringing prohibited items into the zone. In addition, employees who made the decision to conduct an inspection are required to draw up an inspection protocol.
Krasnoyarsk jailers are not just carrying out the secret order of the Ministry of Justice of 2015, which violates the state’s constitutional guarantees to protect the dignity of the individual, they have improved this order: they are conducting searches, not inspections. Why should relatives of prisoners take off their underpants down to their knees when they can be taken off completely?!
Andrey Babushkin
Human rights activist, member of the Human Rights Council
“We have been fighting with the Federal Penitentiary Service for 20 years so that they stop the wholesale search of relatives who come for long visits. “But the actions of the FSIN directly depend on what is happening in the state: if democratic processes are underway in the country, then searches are reduced to a minimum, and if the screws are tightened, one prohibitory law after another is adopted, then searches become total.
No one is immune from misfortunes and troubles. And unfortunately, sometimes it happens that a good friend or relative ends up behind bars. If such a situation arises and a decision is made to visit the convicted person, then you need to know how a visit takes place in prison, what documents are required to formalize the visit. It is also worth understanding what transfers are allowed.
What determines the duration of a date?
First of all, you need to find out from the prisoner himself or from the prison authorities what type of visits is allowed. Usually they are divided into two types: short-term and long-term dates. The duration of the meeting depends on the following factors:
- what type of sentence the prisoner is serving;
- what type of prison (general, strict or special regime). This determines how many dates are allowed per month;
- the behavior of the convicted person (whether there are merits or punishments);
- permission from the prison authorities.
A short date. What does it represent?
How long are visits in prison? A short one lasts up to four hours. The meeting takes place on the territory of the prison, in a special room. A prison officer (security) must be present. During such meetings, only communication is allowed. It can occur through a grille or glass (for conversations there is a tube, like a telephone). All conversations are monitored. Therefore, it is not possible to talk much. Transferring parcels or just a small package with things and products on this date is prohibited. They can be handed over through a special window, not personally into the hands of the prisoner.
Long meeting. Features and duration of the date
A long visit in prison is, of course, the most favorite type of visit among prisoners. Its duration can last up to three days. The guest of the convicted person is accommodated in a special room on the territory of the prison or in a special hotel (it is also located on the territory of the colony). You will need to pay for the occupied space during the meeting. This can be done either by a visitor to the prisoner or by the convicted person himself. The prisoner's guest may bring food and drinks with him. To do this, you will need to familiarize yourself with the allowed list. For example, no food or drinks are allowed in glass. The convicted person does not have the right to leave the allocated premises during a long visit. If violated, the date will be terminated.
With whom are long-term visits allowed?
Such meetings are allowed only with the closest relatives:
- wife or husband;
- parents (father, mother);
- grandma or grandpa;
- children (even adopted ones);
- brothers or sisters.
Cohabitants are not close relatives. Therefore, if you want to “knock out” such a date, you may need to get married. This is now practiced in prisons. At bad behavior the prisoner may not be allowed long meetings. In some cases, a visit may be allowed for up to five days, but the relative will have to live outside the territory of the colony.
In a general security prison
Number of visits in prisons general regime depends on the behavior of the prisoner. If he is in good standing, he may be allowed up to six dates of both types during the year (that is, six long-term and six short-term). The standard limit is four dates per year (eight dates in total). But if the prisoner is guilty, the number of meetings may be reduced or they may be cancelled.
In a maximum security prison
Here, the number of visits in a maximum security prison also depends on the behavior of the convict. If he is serving a light form of punishment, then up to four short-term visits and four long-term visits are allowed. Otherwise (if the prisoner is kept under normal conditions) - only three visits per year (six in total).
Visit in prison under special regime
Here the number of meetings is kept to a minimum. Under normal conditions, only four visits are allowed per year (two short-term and two long-term). If the convicted person is under lighter conditions, then the number of meetings can be increased to six (three for each type). There may also be a lack of long meetings, depending on what the person is sitting for and how he behaves.
How are meetings with loved ones and relatives held?
How are visits in prison? Before entering a conversation room or a room for a long meeting, a thorough search of the visitor and his belongings will take place. If alcoholic beverages, drugs, money or mobile phones for transfer are found, they will be immediately confiscated and the date may be cancelled. Do not forget that things and food, even permitted ones, will be confiscated if the date is short-term.
It is not recommended to succumb to security tricks that you can go on a date without being searched. This can harm both the visitor and the prisoner. If you refuse a personal inspection and things, the meeting is canceled automatically. In the room where the meeting will take place, there is a button to call security (this applies to long dates); this is done to protect the visitor.
Security will definitely require any document proving the identity of the visitor. As well as a document proving relationship with the prisoner. Especially if it's a long date. If one of the documents is missing, the visit will be denied.
After the end of the meeting, the visitor, accompanied by security, leaves the premises. Then a bus takes you or a guard accompanies you to the prison gates. Meanwhile, the convicted person is sent to a cell to further serve his sentence.
Dating outside the institution. Is it allowed?
It was good when they gave me a date in prison. Is it possible to conduct it outside the prison? There are such privileges, but only in the colony settlements. To do this, the prisoner must behave simply ideally and write an application addressed to the chief or his acting director for a meeting with a relative not on the territory of the settlement. After reviewing the application, a response will be issued.
What can you bring?
The list of permitted items and products is of interest to visitors both when sending a parcel, a package for a short-term date, and when packing for a long-term visit.
What can you bring to prison for a (long) visit:
- Food products: any instant food (noodles, cereals, soups, cubes, etc.); bakery products; butter (butter and vegetable) and cheeses.
- Drinks (non-alcoholic), but not in glass or metal containers. You can have tea and coffee.
- Sugar, candies (lollipops only), honey (in plastic containers).
- Books, magazines, notebooks, videos.
- Things for hygiene (for yourself and the convicted person).
- A change of clothes for both.
Under no circumstances should you try to smuggle in prohibited items (alcohol, drugs, money, weapons, cell phones), especially with the help of a bribe. Then the date will definitely be cancelled. And this can have dire consequences for future dates. They may be banned with this particular visitor. Or they may take you into custody (if there was an attempt to bring a weapon or a drug). In order not to make a mistake about what to take on a date to prison, before the trip it is better to get advice from the authorities of the institution so as not to get into an unpleasant situation.
What items and food products are allowed to be placed in parcels and parcels?
To begin with, you always need to call the colony authorities, since the lists can change, and parcels and packages can be sent not whenever you want, but a certain number of times. Below are the main permitted items and foods:
- Tea, coffee, cigarettes, and candy are not just permitted items in prison. For prisoners it is a kind of exchange currency. Therefore, they are permanent components of any parcel or transmission.
- Oil, both vegetable and butter, you can use melted chicken fat, lard.
- Instant foods (they are listed above in the list for long dates).
- Instead of salt, it is better to send chicken cubes.
- Gingerbreads, dryers, cookies.
- Fruits and vegetables, Special attention give garlic, especially in winter time.
- Dried fruits, condensed milk in a bag.
- Kissels (in packs), powdered milk, tomato paste.
- Cheese, sausages, fish and meat in vacuum packages.
- It is advisable to send clothes only dark colors(pajamas, tracksuit, sweaters, pants).
- Shoes with Velcro or lock are also dark in color.
- Dishes, preferably plastic.
- Laundry washing powder or laundry soap.
- Magazines, newspapers, books.
- Notebooks and pens (black or of blue color).
- Cards or other board and safe games.
- If you need to send medicines, you need to contact the authorities; the medicine is transferred not to the convicted person, but to the medical staff of the prison. The parcel must be marked “medicines”.
- Essential items for personal hygiene ( straight razors not allowed).
Personal hygiene items include:
- soap;
- brush;
- toothpaste;
- shampoo;
- towel;
- shaving cream;
- deodorant;
- for girls - pads;
- washcloth and so on.
You cannot put items in parcels that quickly deteriorate, require storage in the refrigerator, or require cooking or other heat treatment.
If a relative or acquaintance ends up in prison, then, of course, first of all you need to find out how many visits there are in prison, what kind of visits are allowed and when, what can and cannot be given to the prisoner. You should not carry bad news from freedom, as this may provoke an inadequate reaction from the convicted person. The visitor himself cannot violate the rules in this institution. This applies to both acceptable products and things, and the behavioral factor.
A little conclusion
It must be remembered that the prisoner enjoys long visits more than the visitor. Because it somehow dilutes the gray everyday life. Therefore, you can clarify in advance what he wants and whether it is allowed. You can bring family photos or videos. And you should always monitor changes in prohibitions and permitted things in the program.
Marina
It is a fact that in most Russian camps they still continue to charge a fee for renting a room in the premises for long visits. And this despite the fact that back in 2007, the relatives of the convicts turned for clarification on this issue to the Director of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia and, according to the response of the higher-ups, the following quote: “We inform you that the current legislation DOES NOT PROVIDE PAYMENT FOR SHORT-TERM VISITINGS AND ACCOMMODATION IN ROOMS FOR LONG VISITINGS FOR CONVICTED CONVICTS. .." "Okay, then let's calculate how much such legislative independence can bring in profit. The fee for a room is about 500 rubles per day. In different camps the amount may differ slightly. Now remember that usually in a camp there are about 10 meeting rooms, eight of which, as a rule, are occupied. Thus, the amount of stolen funds per month is 120,000 rubles. And this is only one month and only one camp. And if you count it for all the camps where this practice exists? why should this money be considered stolen? Since the current legislation does not really provide for payment for living in rooms for long visits, then every month a certain amount of money is allocated from the federal budget intended for the maintenance of these same rooms. What does it mean? The fact that they actually pay twice for a room on a date. The first time this is done by the state, and the second time by the relatives of the convicted. The question arises, where does the second amount go? If we take a tour of the long-term visiting rooms of many camps, we will most often see a very sad picture - old dilapidated furniture, peeling paint on the walls, one TV for all rooms, etc. Is it really possible that with a monthly income of 120,000 rubles, the bosses can’t do basic repairs and bring the premises back to normal human appearance? However, the question may arise: do some camp commanders really have so much impudence that they actually openly steal budget money (or the money of relatives of convicts - depending on how you look at it)? Surprisingly, this is true. At the same time, of course, there is a certain fig leaf with the help of which they try to cover up this shame a little.
The official “excuse” for charging a fee for staying in a long-term visiting room is paragraph 81 of the Internal Regulations of Correctional Institutions. It says, further quote: “Additional services may be provided for longer visits. Their payment is made at the expense of the convicts’ own funds or those arriving on a date.” As you can see, what exactly is included in the concept of “additional services” is not deciphered by the rules. A small gap in the legislation that gives a chance for personal enrichment for an official... So they are pushing into additional services bed linen that any homeless person would be embarrassed to sleep on, and dishes that residents use on dates, and refrigerators that are usually bought by the relatives of the convicts themselves, and televisions acquired in exactly the same way, and much more. In some colonies they even managed to include light and use of the toilet on this list! That is, live for free - live, but in the dark and without basic sanitary conditions. In some camps there is no list of additional services or prices for them at all. All relatives who come to visit the convicted person pay fixed amount. Regardless of whether a person uses a refrigerator or watches TV.
But in general, in accordance with current legislation, no additional service can have a form and character that makes it impossible to exercise the right to use the main service. That is, this general rule of law means that if you were given a room (in this case, it was provided at the expense of the state), then you must provide all the conditions for normal living.
If someone tries to interpret the law differently, then he is simply stealing money from you. Or, in this particular case, steals from the state. Tell me, maybe there is a different legal assessment for everything described above and the fee is charged legally!
Lawyers' answers 1
Hello, Marina.
It's strange somehow. Let’s say, while I’m free, I want to go on a date with a girl :) To do this, I’ll rent the appropriate premises. For some reason it wouldn’t occur to me to demand that it be free... It turns out that those who are “there” should, in your opinion, be in privileged conditions in relation to other citizens... but the punished are still sitting there, not beneficiaries...
I'll be glad to help! BUT! I DO NOT READ the clarifications on the website. Detailed consultations, all services are paid. Call.
Marina
It's strange somehow. Money for the maintenance of correctional institutions is allocated from the state budget, both for the maintenance of prisoners and for the maintenance of premises. The question states that there is a law that regulates the use of long-term visiting rooms and that no fee should be charged from convicts and their relatives for visits required by law. Only for additional services. And you also compare a date with a convicted person with a date with a girl in a hotel! It was such a mockery of wives, children and mothers who only live to see their son, husband, father as soon as possible! Imagine a single, retired mother who has only one son in her life! She needs to spend a lot of effort and money to get to the colony in order to meet her son, and also pay a considerable amount from her meager pension to rent a room, but this meeting is legally entitled to her, and it is completely free. And they impose on her “additional services”, which are included in the main ones, for which she has to pay, despite the fact that all this has already been paid for by the state! If you do not know the legislation in this area and have not even tried to understand the essence of the question, then it would not be worth answering at all. This question was asked on behalf of numerous relatives of prisoners whose rights are violated. We asked for a legal assessment of this problem, and not to find out your personal opinion at the everyday level. Sorry for the harshness.
Marina
Dear experts and everyone who is interested in this topic! We conducted a more thorough search for information and found evidence of the illegality of charging money for a long date. Below is one of illustrative examples from the news archive: "... The regional prosecutor's office identified violations of penal legislation when charging fees for the provision of additional services during long visits. This was reported on June 30 on the official website of the prosecutor's office.
In accordance with Art. 13 of the Law of the Russian Federation of July 21, 1993 No. 5473-I “On institutions and bodies executing criminal penalties in the form of imprisonment”, the administration of a correctional institution is obliged to ensure the implementation of the penal legislation of the Russian Federation, incl. the realization by convicts and their relatives of the right to a long visit, including additional paid services that do not contradict the established regime for serving their sentences.
However, in none of the correctional institutions of the region, before persons arriving on a date, information about the type, nature and cost of services provided paid services was not communicated in an accessible and visual manner.
The Criminal Executive Code of the Russian Federation and the Internal Regulations of Correctional Institutions provide for the collection of fees only for the provision of additional services during long visits.
Meanwhile, in violation of the rights and legitimate interests of those convicted in FBU T-2, IK-3, IK-4, accommodation in the long-term visiting room was carried out on a paid basis.
The cost of additional services in FBU IK-4 also included a fee for use bed linen, while the law allows during long visits the use of clothes, linen and shoes brought by relatives.
The actual imposition of paid additional services, the lack of the opportunity to choose them or the right to refuse to provide them violated the material rights of citizens and contradicted the basic principles of the activities of a state institution.
Such violations were the result of weakening departmental control on the part of the Office of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Lipetsk Region.
Moreover, the Department unreasonably directed subordinate institutions to allow entry of persons arriving for a long visit only upon presentation of a receipt for payment for the room.
For all identified violations, the prosecutor's office has taken comprehensive measures aimed at eliminating them and bringing the guilty officials to disciplinary liability..." Based of the above, we, the relatives of the convicted, intend to file a complaint with the Prosecutor's Office of our region. Thank you for your attention.
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My legal spouse serving his sentence in penal colony strict regime. he has a positive character, he will serve a sentence of more than 6 years, in 10 months. we are entitled to parole. there was not a single penalty for the weight period, it works constantly. The last time he was granted a long visit was in September 2008. The husband is in improved conditions of detention and is entitled to visits 4 times a year, but unfortunately, for more than 6 months. We cannot achieve the required 3 days. The administration argues for refusing a visit by saying that there are allegedly not enough rooms for long-term visits. At the same time, not only legal wives, but also common-law wives come to the family home. what to do in this situation and how can you influence the administration of the penal colony so that visits are provided as expected?
Long dates
No. 304577 Sergey
At this time, my young man is in places not so remote. Not officially scheduled. They don’t let me go on a long date. They force me to sign with him. And that’s exactly what we do THERE...
The types of visits with a convicted person, the number of visits a convicted person is entitled to during a year, and their duration are established by the Criminal Executive Code of the Russian Federation.
All this depends on the type of correctional institution, as well as the conditions in which the convicted person is serving his sentence. The procedure for providing convicts with visits is regulated by the Internal Regulations of Correctional Institutions, approved by Order of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation of November 3, 2005 No. 205.
A person sentenced to imprisonment is provided with two types of visits on the territory of a correctional institution:
short-term, lasting 4 hours;
long-term – up to 3 days on the territory of a correctional institution with accommodation in a specially equipped room, as well as up to 5 days with accommodation outside the correctional institution. In this case, the head of the correctional institution determines the procedure and location of the meeting (for example, a city hotel at the expense of the convicted person or his relatives).
And so, the number of short-term and long-term visits that a convicted person is entitled to per year depends on the type of correctional institution and the conditions in which he is serving his sentence.
If a convicted person is serving a sentence in a general regime correctional colony and is in normal conditions, then he is allowed to have 6 short-term and 4 long-term visits during the year; in easier conditions – 6 short-term and 6 long-term visits; under strict conditions – 2 short-term and 2 long-term visits.
If a convicted person is serving a sentence in a high-security correctional colony and is in normal conditions, then he is allowed to have 3 short-term and 3 long-term visits during the year; in easier conditions – 4 short-term and 4 long-term visits; under strict conditions – 2 short-term and 1 long-term visits.
If a convicted person is serving a sentence in a special regime correctional colony and is in normal conditions, then he is allowed to have 2 short-term and 2 long-term visits during the year; in easier conditions – 3 short-term and 3 long-term visits; under strict conditions - only 2 short-term visits.
If the convicted person is serving a sentence in prison under general regime, then he is allowed to have 2 short-term and 2 long-term visits during the year. In a maximum security prison, a convicted person is allowed only 2 short-term visits per year.
Convicted minors serving sentences in educational colonies are allowed to have during the year: under normal conditions - 8 short-term and 4 long-term visits; in easier conditions - 12 short-term and 4 long-term visits; under preferential conditions - an unlimited number of short-term dates and 6 long-term dates; under strict conditions - only 6 short-term visits.
Short-term visits are granted with relatives or other persons in the presence of a representative of the administration of the correctional institution. Long-term visits are granted with the right to live together with a spouse, parents, children, adoptive parents, adopted children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, and with the permission of the head of the correctional institution - with other persons.
No more than two adults, together with minor brothers, sisters, children, and grandchildren of the convicted person, can come to the convicted person for short-term or long-term visits at the same time.
Persons arriving on a meeting with a convicted person must have identification documents, as well as documents confirming their family ties with the convicted person: passport, military ID, identity card, birth certificate, marriage certificate, documents from the guardianship and trusteeship authorities. Persons arriving on a date, their clothes and belongings are searched. If a person arriving on a meeting refuses this procedure, he is not allowed a long meeting with the convicted person. In this case, instead of a long visit, he may be given short date.
Persons arriving for a short-term meeting with a convicted person are not allowed to bring any products or things into the visiting room. For long dates, you are allowed to bring food (with the exception of wine, vodka and beer).
The first meeting may be granted to the convicted person immediately after his transfer from the quarantine department of the correctional institution to the detachment. A convicted person can be kept in a quarantine department from the first day of arrival at a correctional institution and up to 15 days. Subsequent visits are granted after a period of time equal to the number obtained by dividing 12 months by the number of visits (short-term and long-term) a convicted person is entitled to per year.
At the written request of the convicted person, he is allowed to replace a long meeting with a short-term one, or a short-term or long-term meeting with a telephone conversation.
To receive legal assistance, convicts are granted visits with lawyers or other persons entitled to provide legal assistance, without limiting their number and lasting up to four hours. According to the application convicted date with a lawyer are provided in private, out of earshot of third parties and without the use of technical means of listening.
Nikolay Severin
Every person has relatives and loved ones, close people who worry about him. But sometimes living leads him to prison. During this period, he needs support and attention, which relatives are only able to provide when they come for a visit to prison. Let's look at this situation. How can I get to to a loved one on a date to prison?
What is a meeting with a convicted person?
There is no need for an answer to this question, everything is already clear.
Every year new laws are issued that complement the rights of a prisoner to visit his family.
Types of dates?
There are 2 types of dates. They vary depending on the time spent on the date.
- Long-term dates. They last three days and take place in specially designated rooms. Or 5 days may be provided, but they will be spent outside the prison. In such a date, you are given a choice. It can take place on the territory of the prison, or in a hotel, which will be paid for by a relative of the prisoner. You are allowed to bring food and drinks, but not in glassware or bottles. You cannot go outside the meeting premises. Since this is a violation, it will entail a premature end to the date. But it's worth emphasizing the point. A long meeting is allowed only to people who have a legal family and the head of the household in the detachment. Meetings with family, which is defined by the Federal Law of the Russian Federation, are allowed without any problems. There is no reason for refusal. But for cohabitants or best friends a convicted person may be refused for legal reasons. In this case, during a meeting, you can use acceptable services, the payment for which is borne by the relative.
- Short-term dates. Such meetings are limited to four hours. They are carried out in a specially designated cell or room on the prison grounds. Such meetings can only be arranged if the head of the institution gives his consent. A prison employee will be required to be in the room with the prisoner and his relative. I can’t go on such dates without him, he must listen carefully to all conversations. Under no circumstances should anything material be placed in the hands of the prisoner during this meeting. There is another procedure designed specifically for this.
The time that a person can spend with his relatives is determined by the law of the Russian Federation. Namely, it approaches from the side of the severity of the punishment and the conditions of stay. The head of the institution plays an important role; not a single meeting can take place without his consent.
It is important to understand! By at will a convicted person can write an application to change one type of visit to another, or even to a simple telephone conversation.
Upon his/her application, a prisoner may be provided with legal assistance in the form of a lawyer. During the investigation or any questions, the lawyer is allowed to assist the person. The lawyer and the convicted person have the right to demand that prison staff not be present in the room during their meeting and that no means of listening to the room be used. Violating these rules is an illegal act. Such meetings can last up to 4 hours; the law has no right to limit them. Meetings with a lawyer can be held for as long as both parties need. But, of course, they will be carried out according to the legal prison daily routine. There will be no visits at night.
Phone conversation?
This point needs to be given a little attention.
A convicted person has the right to call and communicate by telephone with his relatives and loved ones up to 6 times a year. All conversations are monitored and monitored by employees of the institution.
In order for the manager to give a conversation, you need to write a statement. It indicates all the information about the call, down to the time of conversation. It should not last longer than 15 minutes. The convicted person can pay for the call from his own money, or the bill will be provided to his relatives.
A prisoner can only contact his relatives. That is, he has no reason to talk to another prisoner. This situation is only possible if the imprisoned person is a relative.
If a person is serving a sentence under a court order under strict conditions, then talking on the phone is prohibited. Exceptions are made only if the person has any urgent family conversations.
Number of dates?
But prisons have different type. What kind of dates are intended?
If a person is in a general regime correctional colony under easier conditions, then he is assigned 6 long visits and 6 short visits. If a person is in the same institution under standard conditions, then 4 long visits and 6 short visits are given. The law gives a person in strict conditions 2 long visits and 2 short visits.
The location of the high security prison must also be considered. The standard provision provides for 3 long visits and 3 short visits. Under strict conditions - 1 long-term date and 2 short-term dates. In easier conditions - 4 long dates and 4 short dates.
It is important to know! Dating is not limited only in colonies in the form of settlements. In this case, the law allows meeting with relatives even outside the colony.
The first meeting with relatives of a prisoner can be given immediately after he arrives in prison. It doesn’t matter how long ago he had visits while he was in jail. He independently chooses the type of first date. The remaining types are given below. They are distributed evenly throughout the year. Dates cannot be combined or separated.
How are dates going? What are the principles?
Before the date, each party undergoes a preliminary check. Each person is checked for the presence of any weapons, drugs, or wireless communication devices.
For each meeting, you must take with you documentation, namely, your passport and a paper that confirms the fact of your relationship with the person in custody. Without this documentation, a visit will be denied on legal grounds.
The law provides for a person to refuse to be examined by prison staff, but this will mean refusal of a long visit. It will be replaced by a short-term meeting.
There will be a telephone in the room where meetings with prisoners take place. In case of a conflict or any other problem, a relative can call it, and security will come in immediately.
At the end of the visit, transport arrives for the relatives, and the prisoner is sent back to prison.
The main principle is the fact that the prisoner must come for a visit at pure form. He is allowed to wear the clothes that his relatives brought him. All subjects must be examined before and after the date for prohibited items.
The head of the institution has the legal right to stop all visits from certain relatives if they have a negative influence on the incarcerated person.
People who come for a date are not allowed to enter the meeting room without handing over prohibited items. Even if they were not a thing for the convicted person. This happens most often with mobile phones. All items are handed over at the time of the meeting against signature. After the end of the visit, prison staff return them to the owner.
Premises for long meetings?
Rooms intended for long meetings have a slightly different appearance, so you need to place special emphasis on them.
This room also has a landline telephone with one-way communication. There is a double bed that can be used as desired. It should be noted that for reasons of safety and premature elimination of escapes, there are no large windows. Some rooms have a very small window near the ceiling. A person will not physically be able to crawl into it.
There is a prison officer on duty outside the door of the room, who will provide assistance in case of an unforeseen situation.
What are you allowed to bring on a date?
Bringing anything material is allowed either during long meetings or during a special transfer process. Short meetings cannot be included in this council.
It is allowed to bring things, food, movies, drinks that do not contain alcohol.
It is important to know! It is strictly forbidden to bring drugs, communications equipment, or alcohol to a prisoner.
We strongly recommend that you under no circumstances resort to corruption. Do not try to bribe prison staff, this will not lead to a positive end. It is worth following the laws; they are created to protect society. The legislation of the Russian Federation provides for a huge fine for giving a bribe.
An approximate list of products that you can bring on a date:
- Instant noodles.
- Dry broth for soup.
- Black tea.
- Instant porridge.
- Liquid or butter.
- Bread.
- Cigarettes.
- Sucking candies.
How to get permission to date?
In order for a visit to take place, permission from the head of the institution where the relative is serving his sentence is required. This permission can only be obtained when submitting an application for a date.
The application can be submitted in writing or in electronic format. It is sent to the manager of the institution where the inmate in question is serving his sentence.
If there are no legal grounds for refusal, then written permission to visit is issued. If it was refused, then it is better to request this refusal with detailed reasons in writing.
If we are talking about a pre-trial detention center, then there are situations when there are no legal grounds for refusal, the investigator just wanted to refuse “because of harm.” Such problems are resolved with the help of his supervisor or a lawyer. A lawyer can solve this problem. But if he understands that the reasons are still legal, then you can forget about meeting your loved one.
Next, with permission, you need to come to the institution where the person is serving his sentence. You need to have the previously listed documents with you. It is best to take a second close relative with you so that without wasting time, he can hand over the parcel to the employee of the institution. You can send a letter with it and receive a response on the same day.
The application must be drawn up in the form specified by law.
In the upper right corner the address of the institution and the name of its head are written down. Further, the passport details and place of residence of the relative who wants to obtain a meeting with the imprisoned person are indicated there. The basis of the application must indicate what kind of meeting the relative wants. If minor children arrive to visit relatives, you must provide some of their information. Next, you need to indicate a document that confirms the relationship of the prisoner and the relative. It is indicated that the relative is aware of all the laws and principles of conduct during a meeting. The date when the application and signature was written is indicated. Below all this, a note is made that it is strictly prohibited to bring food on a short-term date.
How to transfer things?
During a long meeting, you can bring food and things for temporary use.
Women and children in colonies can receive materials in unlimited quantities. That is, the times of transfer do not have any legal framework.
As for men, they take into account the conditions, the institution and the severity of the crime.
Medicines and books for sick and disabled people are not included in the quantity limited by law.
The maximum size and weight of a parcel is set by the post office. All transfers will be carefully inspected. Such an inspection is carried out by prison staff in the presence of the relative who handed over the parcel. They check for the presence of prohibited items that a prisoner could use to escape or commit a new crime.
A prisoner also has the right by law to send parcels to his relatives. They may contain food, things he bought in the prison store. The parcel will also be carefully inspected in the presence of the convicted person.
Russian legislation on visits in prisons?
The law of the Russian Federation understands that a person in a prison institution needs support and attention from his relatives and close people. That is why visits with prisoners are allowed. However, it must be said that these dates are quite strict and have many restrictions. These restrictions are governed by many laws. Violation of them will result in legal liability. Let's look at them.
First, we need to note the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which provides the basis for others legally allowing visits to prisoners. The basis lies in Article 89. It determines the types and hours of visits in prison. In its paragraph 2.1, the law accommodates women who have small children. They are allowed additional visits beyond the norm. The article refers to the thirteenth chapter, which talks about the conditions for serving the sentence. This law contains clauses that control every condition that a correctional facility may provide. It is according to these conditions in the law that you can track what the annual rate of visits is.
All correctional institutions in Russia operate under a single law - the Internal Regulations of Prisons. The rules contain all aspects relating to serving a sentence in a correctional institution. Chapter 14 talks about the order of the meeting. The articles talk about who has the right to come to a meeting, where the meeting takes place, at what time, what can be brought to the convicted person and when. The procedure for examining the subjects of a meeting before it is described. Chapter 15 goes on to talk about telephone conversations, which, upon application of a convicted person, may be provided to him. Chapter 16 controls the process of sending and receiving parcels.
In 2000, instructions were adopted for the supervision of people in correctional institutions. The document is quite large and has many articles. He controls the methods of searching and detaining people. At the moment, it is no longer valid in Russia for a long time and has lost its legal force.
You need to understand! It should be noted Article 37 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation. It is also relevant to the issue at hand. It defines the concept of relatives, that is, those people who can freely demand and come on visits to a prisoner.
Article 19.12 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation provides for legal liability in the form of an administrative fine for violating the law controlling the bringing of things on a date. You cannot bring anything into a short-term date. If the relative disobeys, the items will be confiscated during inspection, followed by an administrative fine.
In prison, a person's privacy cannot be violated. It is protected by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, namely, Article 23. Family private life cannot be controlled by the state.
The Family Protection Convention states that family life no one can interfere.
The law protects convicted people. They have the same rights and responsibilities as everyone else because they are people too. This should not be forgotten.
If you have any problems, you can contact a lawyer or lawyer. They will help you solve dating problems and give you the necessary advice. This is quite easy to do. You can order a free call back on the legal aid website. They will call you and explain the necessary things.
Important! For all questions about places of serving sentences and imprisonment, if you don’t know what to do and where to go:
Call 8-800-777-32-63.
Or you can ask a question in any pop-up window, so that a lawyer on your question can answer and advise you as quickly as possible.
Lawyers for the penitentiary system and prison issues, and lawyers who are registered Russian Legal Portal, will try to help you from a practical point of view in this matter and advise you on all issues of interest.
