PUBLIC CONTROL IN PENITENTIARY INSTITUTIONS

In its activities, the Supervisory Commission is guided by the Constitution of Ukraine, the Criminal and Executive Code of Ukraine, the Law of Ukraine “On Local Self-Government” and other legislative acts. The Commission consists of 17 people, of whom: 6 people are representatives of public organizations of the city and 11 people are representatives of local self-government bodies and executive authorities.

Among the issues resolved at the Commission meetings last year, much attention was focused on the consideration of cases on the conditional early release of convicts from further serving their sentences or replacing the unserved part of the sentence with a milder one, transfer to a social rehabilitation center and release of pregnant women and women with children under three years of age.

Of the 101 relevant cases considered, the commission members approved 99 and rejected 2 individuals. During inspections, the prosecutor’s office authorities certified the legality of the decisions made by the commission members.

During the reporting period, the monitoring commission, with the participation of representatives of the internal affairs bodies, the prosecutor’s office, the Department of the State Department of Ukraine for the Execution of Sentences in the Chernihiv region, heads of correctional institutions in the territory of Chernihiv, representatives of human rights NGOs, and the media, also considered the following issues:

“On compliance by the institution’s administration with the legal rights of convicts regarding medical and sanitary support in Chernihiv Correctional Colony No. 44”, “On the state of material and household support of convicts in Chernihiv Correctional Colony No. 44”, “On the state of organization and implementation of educational work with convicts who are left to work on household services, as well as minors who are held in the Chernihiv pre-trial detention center”, “On the progress of implementation of the decision of the executive committee of the Chernihiv City Council dated 15.12.2008 No. 339 “On Approval of the List of Types of Work and Facilities in Which Persons Sentenced to Community Service May Serve Their Sentences”.

Stanislav Vikhrov noted that with the assistance of members of the supervisory commission, a legal consultation and a school of legal knowledge, as well as a public reception center, are constantly operating in Chernihiv Correctional Colony No. 44. Its work is attended by members of the commission, representatives of the regional public organization “Pravozakhashinyk”, lawyers and psychologists of the Chernihiv Law College of the State Department of Execution of Sentences, specialists of the Chernihiv City Center of Social Services for Family, Children and Youth, the Department of Family and Youth Affairs of the City Council. Convicts are provided with qualified assistance in obtaining citizenship, inheritance, complaints and lawsuits to the court, in searching for relatives, and others.

During the reporting period, the members of the commission sent 53 requests to various authorities, received 80 convicts at personal receptions, provided 6 services, registered 131 persons who were released from places of imprisonment and arrived at their permanent place of residence in accordance with Article 81 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

As noted at the meeting, the supervisory commission closely cooperates with institutions for the execution of sentences, with public and charitable organizations in the social adaptation of persons released on parole from places of imprisonment, and the resocialization of citizens sentenced to alternative types of punishments to imprisonment.

Thanking the members of the commission for their fruitful work in 2010, Stanislav Vikhrov expressed hope for effective interaction and effective resolution of the relevant tasks in the current year.

Public Relations Department of Chernihiv City Council