The Government will extend the right to use force jailers to prisoners – RBC

The government has submitted to the State Duma a bill that would tighten the use of force and non-lethal weapons to the prisoners. The number of the grounds for the use of force and non-lethal weapons the proposed amendments will be doubled. Using them is permitted to prevent any violations of the content, blocking movement of groups of convicts, as well as “other wrongful acts, disrupt the activities” of the correctional institution or the detention facility. The new draft law excluded the word “malicious” to describe resistance and disobedience prisoner employee of the correctional system, giving the right to the use of force.

The amendments also expressly stipulates that the warden is not liable for damage caused by special means or weapons used “on the grounds and in the manner established by this law».

Instead of requiring a minimum harming prisoners in the application of special means to enter into the proposed law, which is not allowed to beat the “special stick” to the head, neck and clavicular region, abdomen, genitals, in the projection area of ​​the heart, as well as the use of the jet when the air temperature is below zero degrees Celsius.

We introduce a new paragraph in the article regulating the use of firearms – a guarantee of personal safety armed employee. It says that when you try to convict, was detained by the penal system with a drawn gun, close to him, while reducing the distance above them, or touch his arms, the employee has the right to use firearms. According to the explanatory note the authors of the bill, it is prepared to implement the Concept of development of the penitentiary system in Russia up to 2020, approved by government order dated October 14, 2010. The document, according to the authors, includes the development of “a set of measures on formation of the employees of the correctional system and skills, allowing for effective counteraction to wrongful conduct on the part of the convicted».

«If the amendments are adopted, the jailers will have the right to use force and special equipment not only in the event of a threat of escape or attack, and for any violation of internal rules. Just because a person is not greeted with warder, it can be legally hit a club, “- says the founder of the social network for prisoners Gulagu.net Vladimir Osechkin. According to human rights activist carries a potential threat to the expansion of the list of non-lethal weapons in these amendments, including a stun gun. In addition to the possible use of electroshock torture, the use of this device for people with heart disease will lead to cases of death, said Osechkin.

It is also a human rights activist said that the staff of the colonies and insulators, according to the new amendments, no longer have to will report on each case of non-lethal weapons to the prosecutor. Now, the need will be only in the event of the death of the prisoner, said human rights activist. “Together, these standards would negate the ability to attract personnel to the institution of criminal responsibility for abuse of power and create an atmosphere of absolute impunity of violence against prisoners,” – insists Osechkin.