Rostov Regional GUFSIN bosses recruit prison psychologists and priests

Soon, psychologists and priests, having special training for working with prisoners, will appear in prisons and colonies of the Rostov Region. As stated today by Major-General of Internal Troops Sergey Izmalkov, head of the Rostov Department of the Chief Federal Penitentiary Service (known as "GUFSIN"), the decision was caused by suicides in prisons.

"I'm very much concerned about suicides of convicts in colonies. This year, there were sixteen of them. Clearly, we identify risk groups; and our psychologists work with them, but it's not enough. It's necessary to study the reasons of suicides, trying to prevent them and stop people before the threshold, when they decide to commit suicide. However, we lack scientific basis, experience and knowledge," General Izmalkov said at a sitting of the new staff of the Public Council of the GUFSIN.

According to his story, the other day he had a meeting with the Rector of the Rostov Medical University; and they decided to send the GUFSIN psychologists working in the Rostov Region to special training focused on the criminal-executive system.

Father Timothy, Head of the Rostov Regional Branch of the Human Rights Centre "World Russian People's Council", believes that the issue of suicides in prisons should be addressed by means of faith.

"Russia is in the second place in the world by the number of suicides. And in many cases it is a spiritual problem, because a believer cannot, by definition, commit suicide. A very serious work is needed here, not just of a doctor, but of a churchman either," said Father Timothy.

According to his story, now the issue of introducing the posts of the so-called "prison chaplains", trained to work with prisoners, is considered at the very high level.