POC: juveniles are pressed in Belorechenskaya Colony

As reported by the Public Oversight Commission (POC) of the Krasnodar Territory, the employees of the Belorechenskaya Colony subject convicted juveniles to psychological pressure.

"The absence of the of functioning system of juvenile justice, poor personnel training and unwillingness to change the old working principles - these are the three vicious pillars, on which the modern penal system for young criminals is built," said Tatiana Rudakova, Chair of the Interregional Public Organization "Mothers in Defence of Rights of Detainees, Defendants and Convicts" and a member of the above POC.

Let us remind you that December 10, 22 juvenile inmates of the Belorechenskaya Colony cut their wrists with razor blades.

"We were monitoring past riots in the colony. When talking to our experts, most young inmates directly complained that they had been subject to regular psychological pressure. Therefore, they saw no way out but protest," said Ms Rudakova.

According to her story, frequent replacements of colony bosses had also negatively affected the psychological state of the inmates, who were forced to adapt to new requirements after every change.

"We were struck by the result of the prosecutor's check and court verdicts after the first rebellion. As far as I know, one of those, who was repeatedly convicted, tried to hide under his bed during the riot, because one day was left until his release. Still he was convicted and is now serving another term of his. The third revolt in one and the same colony is already a system and an indication that the problem is not duly addressed," Tatiana Rudakova has concluded.

Meanwhile, the territorial Department of the Russian Federal Correction Service (known as "UFSIN") has treated the rebellion in the colony, which burst out on December 10, has treated it as "a boyish trick."

The employees of the Department refer to the medical examination, which "revealed no serious injuries on wrists and arms of convicts, while abrasions and scratches caused no threat to life and health of the adolescents."

"The convicts put forward no demands to soften the custody regime. Most of them cannot now explain their behaviour. Some just say they were bored," the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" was told at the press service of the UFSIN.