NCJ Number
205010
Journal
Punishment & Society Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2004 Pages: 131-147
Date Published
April 2004
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article examines the factors that are influencing imprisonment in two separate prison regions in contemporary Russia to determine whether there is a new penal identity emerging, and it also focuses on the identification of any emerging disparate prison practices.
Abstract
The data for this study were obtained through fieldwork in the natural settings of four male prison colonies in 1999. The four colonies were located in two prison regions: the Smolensk prison region in western Russia near Belarus and a strict and general regime for men in the Omsk prison region in Siberia. In addition to observational research, interviews were conducted with staff, inmates, and senior prison officials in each region. Three developments were determined to have emerged since the decentralization of the prison system in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. First, there were conceptual differences between regions in the way prison staff and inmates conceived of the experiences of individuals within the prison system. Alternative prison-related vocabularies have developed to reflect what the author calls new "penal identities." The term "character reform" was prevalent in the Smolensk prison region, and the term "social reform" was prevalent in the Omsk prison region. Second, there are alternative ways of spending time while in prison. There has been a decline in work and training opportunities following the decline of the industrial ethos. Third, the prison colonies are turning to alternative means to provide essential resources. This article focuses on the first two of these three developments. The overall impression the author gained was of prison regimes in transition without a clear vision or guiding principle for managing the transition. Evaluations of programs and policies are nonexistent, so any attempt at setting policy is not being measured in practice. Looking ahead, if the system continues to evolve in the current disparate manner, then Russia's central government will have difficulty accounting to an international community for a prison system that will come under increasing scrutiny by international institutions concerned about penal issues. 6 notes and 14 references