Introduction of the Head of the State Penitentiary Service

The Minister of Justice of Ukraine Oleksandr Lavrynovych introduced the Head
of the State Penitentiary Service to the personnel
On 28 December 2010, the Minister of Justice of Ukraine Oleksandr Lavrynovych personally introduced the newly appointed leader — Major General of the Internal Service Oleksandr Volodymyrovych Lisitskov — as Head of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine to the personnel of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine.

During the introduction of the Head, Oleksandr Lavrynovych noted that the concept of the “State Department for the Execution of Punishments” was becoming a thing of the past.

The President of Ukraine supported the proposal for a new quality of service, beginning with its name. “Today, the main task is to ensure the reliable functioning of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine, in the name of which there will no longer be any mention of anything criminal,” remarked Oleksandr Lavrynovych.

The Minister of Justice focused on the problems that the management of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine needs to address as a priority. “I will personally pay attention to this important direction — the activities of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine. We must find the right paths for development, determine what should be abandoned, what should be built, and how to use human potential for the common good,” Oleksandr Lavrynovych emphasised to those present.

“We do not need slogans and projects today,” emphasised the Minister of Justice of Ukraine. He further noted: “Only on the condition of coherent work will we be able to minimise all negatives.”

Oleksandr Lavrynovych congratulated everyone present on the upcoming New Year and wished the team the fulfilment of their hopes and effective work: “So that the updated service becomes better.”

The Head of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine, Major General of the Internal Service Oleksandr Lisitskov, thanked the Minister of Justice of Ukraine O. Lavrynovych for his high trust and assured those present that he would make every effort to accomplish the assigned tasks.

For reference: In accordance with Clause 1 of the Decree of the President of Ukraine V.F. Yanukovych of 9 December 2010 No. 1085/2010 “On the Optimisation of the System of Central Executive Authorities”, the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine was created by reorganising the State Department of Ukraine for the Execution of Punishments. Accordingly, the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine is a central executive authority whose activities are directed and coordinated by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine through the Minister of Justice of Ukraine.

The creation of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine is a reflection of the strategic course of state policy in the direction of the social reorientation of the process of executing criminal sentences, taking into account international standards, legality, humanism, democracy, and justice, as well as modern global penitentiary doctrine. The system of relevant state bodies and institutions, along with organising the execution of criminal sentences, must be aimed at ensuring the safety of society through the resocialisation of persons who are serving or have served criminal sentences. In the structure of the penitentiary service, there operate not only institutions for the execution of sentences and pre-trial detention centres but also the criminal-executive inspection, which is to be transformed into a probation service.

By Presidential Decree of Ukraine No. 1233/2010 of 24 December 2010, Oleksandr Volodymyrovych Lisitskov was appointed Head of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine.