Tatarstan Prime Minister takes part in a meeting of the regional department of the Federal Penitentiary Service

On January 15, Tatarstan Prime Minister Aleksey Pesoshin took part in a summing-up meeting of the regional department of the Federal Penitentiary Service.

Making a report at the meeting, Acting Head of the regional department Eduard Khialeyev said that currently there are 11,200 people in correctional facilities and pre-trial detention centers of the republic. The number of convicted prisoners in the regional penal colonies does not exceed the established standard. At the same time, the number of convicts in pre-trial detention centres exceeds the limit (10-12 per cent on average). Over 80 per cent of prisoners are serving sentences for serious and particularly serious crimes, 28 per cent are in prison for murder and willful infliction of serious harm to health, every fourth (25.6 per cent) for crimes related to drug trafficking, 13 per cent are detained for robbery and burglary. More than 70 per cent of convicts are repeated criminals.

According to Khialeyev, convicts of Tatarstan earn 2.5 times less than the minimum wage. The convicted work at industrial and agricultural production facilities of the penal system and produce more and more products every year.

The speaker continued that in 2017, enterprises of correctional colonies sold products for 1.6 billion roubles. At the same time, convicted persons provide themselves with food.

Among the main tasks set for the regional department, the Prime Minister called improving the living conditions of convicts and their medical care.

Also, Pesoshin asked enterprises of the Federal Penitentiary Service to participate more actively in electronic tenders in order to increase sales of products.