One Percent

Chairman of the Supreme Court V. Lebedev stated that the number of convicts in 2008 had decreased. But the decrease was only 1 percent. In total, in 2008, courts considered 1.1 million criminal cases concerning 1.2 million people.

“The total number of criminal cases in courts decreased by 4 percent, and the number of convicts decreased by 1 percent,” V. Lebedev emphasised at the seminar-meeting.

According to the head of the Supreme Court, 32 percent of convicts were sentenced to actual deprivation of liberty. Of them, 93 percent were sentenced for especially grave crimes, and 13 percent for crimes of minor gravity. 46 percent of convicts were given a suspended sentence, and 14 percent got off with a fine. At the same time, the number of persons sentenced to compulsory labour increased by 20 percent, and the head of the Supreme Court called for this type of punishment to be applied more widely.

Although the Criminal Procedure Code provides for 7 types of preventive measures, in fact, 2 types are used most often: in 60 percent of cases — a written undertaking not to leave the place of residence, and in 30 percent — detention in custody. “Probably, these preventive measures are more clearly and understandably spelled out in the CPC,” Lebedev adds. “But it is necessary to more widely apply such a preventive measure as monetary bail.” Investigators and judges are often very passive about choosing such a preventive measure.

House arrest is also used quite rarely, as there is currently no procedure for its application, and the federal body is not defined. “Nevertheless, house arrest, especially in relation to minors, could be very effective,” the Chairman of the Supreme Court believes.

According to Lebedev, it is unacceptable to apply arrest to minors suspected of crimes of minor gravity.