Activity of the Penal System of Ukraine in 2015

Statistical review. A draft fragment of the annual report of the "Donetsk Memorial" "Observance of Prisoners' Rights in Ukraine-2015"

In the places of detention of the penal system of Ukraine controlled by the Ukrainian government, i.e., excluding institutions in Crimea and the occupied part of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, according to data provided to the Donetsk Memorial by the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine (hereinafter – the SPSU), as of 1 January 2016, 69,997 people were being held (here and hereinafter in brackets – as of 1 January 2015, 73,431 people). Over the year, the number of persons in places of detention decreased by 3,434, or by -4.68%.

The dynamics of the number of persons in penal system institutions over the last five years are shown in the following Table 1.

Table 1

      * Estimated data, taking into account institutions in the occupied territory of Donbas.

The rate of prisoners per 100,000 population in Ukraine is 164. It is calculated based on the State Statistics Service's forecast of Ukraine's population at the end of 2015 of 42,751 thousand citizens – excluding Crimea and the temporarily occupied part of Donbas. A year ago, this figure was approximately within the range of 209-213.

As of 1 January 2016, 16,615 people were being held in custody in 12 operating pre-trial detention centres and 17 correctional institutions with pre-trial detention functions (a year ago – 16,035), including 926 women (a year ago – 833 women) and 192 minors (198 people). Thus, over the year, the number of persons held in custody increased by 580 people (a year earlier it had decreased by 6,111 people), or by +3.6% (-27.6%).

After a court sentence enters into force, a convicted person is sent from a pre-trial detention centre to a correctional institution. However, in certain cases, some people are released from pre-trial detention centres. In 2015, about 6.7 thousand people were released from pre-trial detention centres (about 7 thousand people the previous year), which is half the level of 2010-2011 (over 14 thousand people annually). Among the main reasons for which people were released from pre-trial detention centres during 2015 were: changing the preventive measure to a more lenient one – 3,528 people (3,378 people in 2014); imposing a sentence of imprisonment, but for a relatively short term – as a rule, a term that the detained person had already served while in the pre-trial detention centre – 1,450 people (1,886 people a year ago); as well as imposing sentences not involving imprisonment – 1,576 people (1,617 people a year ago).

Statistical data on the reasons for the release of persons from pre-trial detention centres are shown in Table 2.

Number of people released from pre-trial detention centres in 2004-2015

Table 2

The number of convicted persons in 2015 decreased from 56,954 to 53,034 in 113 adult penal institutions, i.e., by 3,920 people, or by -6.88%.

As of 1 January 2016, 2,796 women were held in SPSU institutions (a year ago – 3,200 women). In the baby houses, 39 children are being held together with their convicted mothers.

In six educational colonies for minors, 348 people are serving sentences (a year ago – 442 people, two years ago – 893 people), of whom 222 are under the age of 18 (a year ago – 282 people, two years ago – 560 people). Thus, the total number of convicts as of 1 January is 53,382 (a year ago – 57,396 people).

As of 1 January 2016, according to data posted on the website www.kvs.gov.ua, the following number of convicts were held in institutions of various security levels (in brackets – a year ago):

in 7 minimum security institutions with general conditions for men – 2,032 people (2,161 people);

in 27 medium security institutions for first-time offenders – 15,129 people (16,657 people);

in 32 medium security institutions for repeat offenders – 21,530 people (22,780 people);

in 7 maximum security institutions – 2,032 people (3,297 people);

in 4 minimum security institutions with lightened conditions for men – 636 people (606 people).

in 21 correctional centres, 2,259 people were held;

in 4 specialized medical facilities – 1,169 people;

in medical facilities at correctional colonies and pre-trial detention centres – 1,769 people;

According to the SPSU, during 2015, 20,994 newly convicted persons entered correctional institutions (21,833 people the previous year), and 21,206 people were released (42,977 people), including 10,336 people (15,016 people) released on parole. This accounts for 47.2% of the number of people who formally qualified for parole (a year ago – 53.5%, two years ago – 47.3%).

The number of life-sentenced prisoners in government-controlled institutions as of 1 January 2016 was 1,536, including 23 women (as of 1 January 2015 – 1,634 people, including 23 women). By contrast, as of 1 September 2014, there were 1,909 people.

In the agency's institutions, those sentenced to terms of over 10 years account for 8.1 thousand people (a year ago – 10.7 thousand people).

The criminogenic composition of those sentenced to imprisonment is as follows:
10.6 thousand people sentenced for intentional homicide (a year ago – 14.2 thousand people), including: 5.1 thousand people who committed murder under aggravating circumstances (5.6 thousand);
4.7 thousand people (7.4 thousand people) – for causing intentional grievous bodily harm;
13.5 thousand people (15.2 thousand people) – for robbery, looting, and extortion;
1.4 thousand people (2.1 thousand people) – for rape;
25 people (21 people) – for hostage-taking;
6.8 thousand people (a year ago – 7.5 thousand people, two years ago – 19 thousand people) – for crimes in the sphere of illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues or precursors and other crimes against public health.

483 people are serving sentences of arrest in 51 arrest houses established at correctional institutions; (a year ago – 488 people).

The number of able-bodied persons in correctional institutions as of 01.01.2016 was 32,095 (as of 01.01.2015 – 32.3 thousand people, two years ago – 63,803 people), of whom 16,226 were employed – 50.6% of the number of able-bodied persons and 30.2% of the total number of convicts (a year ago – 18 thousand people, two years ago – 30,297 people). The average monthly salary of employed persons in 2015 was 547.9 UAH (in 2014 – 460.9 UAH per month, in particular in December – 497.9 UAH, two years ago – 441.6 UAH per month).

As of 1 January 2016, 80,715 people sentenced to criminal penalties not involving imprisonment and administrative penalties were registered with the units of the penal inspectorate (a year ago – 87,851 people, although as early as 1 February 2015, this number was 76,148 people). And although their number apparently decreased by 7,136 people over the year, it is more correct to consider that compared to 1 February 2015, the number of these people increased by 4,567.

During 2015, 510 people died in correctional institutions, of whom 103 died in pre-trial detention centres. The total number of prisoners with active tuberculosis increased slightly in 2016, as did the number of HIV-positive prisoners.

Incidence and mortality in the Department's institutions

Table 3

      * Estimated data, taking into account institutions in the occupied territory of Donbas.

There are also prisoners in some other agencies.

The SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) has one pre-trial detention centre in Kyiv for holding persons suspected of preparing or conducting reconnaissance, subversive, or terrorist activities and committing other crimes, the investigation of which is under the jurisdiction of SBU bodies. The capacity of the detention centre is 48 people. As of 1 January 2016, 20 people were held there, and a total of 137 people were held during 2015.

Children who have committed criminal offences under the age of 14 are sent to schools and vocational schools of social rehabilitation. These institutions are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. According to the Ministry's data, there are 44 children in these institutions (here and hereinafter in brackets – two years ago: 120 children), including:

In the Kamyshevakha Social Rehabilitation School for boys, Zaporizhzhia region – 8 people (19 people)

In the Balakhivka Social Rehabilitation School for boys, Kirovohrad region – 4 people (16 people).

The Makiivka Vocational School of Social Rehabilitation for boys, in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated 07.08.2014 No. 915, is temporarily located on the premises of the Balakhivka Social Rehabilitation School; there are 26 people in it (66 people).

In the vocational school of social rehabilitation for girls, Okhtyrka – 6 people (19 people).