The Penal System in the first half of 2011: statistics.

In the first half of 2011, the trend towards an increase in the prison population continued in the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine.

According to data provided by the department’s management, as of 01/07/2011, there were 157,866 people in places of detention (as of 01/01/2011 - 154,027 people), i.e., over the half-year, the number of people in places of detention increased by 3,839 people (+ 2.49%). At the same time, the number of convicted persons increased over the half-year from 113,917 people (in January 2000 - 108,187 people) to 119,153 people, i.e., by 4,489 people, or by +3.91%. The number of residents in pre-trial detention centres decreased during this time by 650 people (-1.65%) — from 39,363 people (as of 01/07/2010 – 40,024 people) to 38,713 people.

From pre-trial detention centres, 6,921 people were released over the half-year, including 2,650 people upon completion of their sentence; for another 2,728 people, measures not related to deprivation of liberty were applied..

The number of life-sentenced individuals increased by 31 people over the half-year (by 90 people in 2010, by 68 people in 2009) and amounted to 1,727 people as of 01/07/2011, including 20 women.

The number of convicted women totalled 7,100 people, whereas six months ago it was 6,731 women (+5.5%). 1,459 minors were serving sentences, which is 25 people more than the figure for January 2011. The dynamics of the number of individuals in the department’s institutions over the last seven years are presented in Table 1.

During the first half of 2011, 24,707 newly convicted persons were admitted to penal institutions (47,048 people last year), and 18,304 people were released (37,227 people in 2010), including 9,058 people released on parole (21,237 people in 2010).

Table 1

It is worth noting the trends in indicators reflecting morbidity and mortality. Over the half-year, 601 people died, whereas for the whole of last year, 808 people died. This means that mortality increased by 45% over the half-year. There is an obvious trend towards an increase in suicides as well — there were 28 in the half-year (44 for the whole of last year), meaning the growth is 22%.

Instead, the trend towards a decrease in patients with the active form of tuberculosis continues, and the increase in the number of HIV-positive individuals is very insignificant.

Table 2

Morbidity and mortality in the Department’s institutions

From convicted persons, 187 complaints were received by the State Penitentiary Service over the half-year. Of these, 3 were satisfied, and 3 others were partially confirmed.

“Donetsk Memorial” is grateful to the State Penitentiary Service for providing statistical information.