Russia's Ministry of Justice has proposed a new law to enhance the material and everyday support for individuals in penitentiary institutions. The ministry aims to control the standards of clothing and the rules for the use of footwear and clothing. The proposed changes would amend the Criminal Executive Code and the law "On the Detention of Suspects and Accused Persons in the Commission of Crimes."
According to Article 99 of the Criminal Executive Code, convicts are obliged to reimburse the cost of food, clothing, utilities, and personal hygiene items from their wages or pensions, except for special food and clothing. Expenses are deducted from the convicts' personal accounts, even for those who are not working. The calculation is made monthly. However, the clarification of the provision when a convict has no means is still unclear.
The authors of the initiative suggest that in cases of insufficient funds in a convict's personal account, the debt should be collected in subsequent months until it is fully repaid. The proposed law also states that convicts should receive clothing and footwear "according to the season," corresponding to their sizes and genders, as well as personal hygiene items including soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, toilet paper, and disposable razors for men. The Ministry of Justice plans to specify the definition of "special food," which may include medical nutrition, milk, and vitamins for convicts working in hazardous conditions.
The Ministry of Justice's decision to improve the provision of footwear and clothing for prisoners stems from the need to address several issues, such as the availability of seasonal footwear. For instance, a person arrested during the summer may require warm footwear during the approaching winter. Lawyer Alexander Burchuk supports Merkacheva's opinion about problems with providing footwear but opposes deducting the cost from wages and pensions. He noted that most pre-trial detainees are in their own clothes.
