Preventing Recidivism among Convicts Serving Sentences in the Form of Forced Labor
Ustinov A .A. P reventing recidivism among convicts serving sentences in the form of forced labor. Penitentiary Science, 2025, vol. 19, no. 1 (69), pp. 39–47. doi 10.46741/2686-9764.2025.69.1.005
The article analyzes causes and conditions of recidivism among convicts serving sentences in the form of forced labor, as well as socio-demographic, psychological, and value-motivational characteristics of their personalities that determine the commission of recurrent crimes. Purpose: based on the statistics from the Federal Penitentiary Service and data from the survey of employees of institutions executing forced labor, to identify causes and conditions that determine the commission of recurrent crimes by convicts serving this sentence, their personality characteristics, and propose measures to fight recidivism. Methods: formal law, empirical methods of description and interpretation, theoretical methods of formal and dialectical logic. Results: the main determinants of recurrent criminality of convicts serving sentences in the form of forced labor are alcohol abuse, drug use, insufficient financial resources, and unjustified substitution of forced labor for imprisonment. The main personality traits that determine recurrent criminality are egoism, aggressiveness, secrecy, deceit, irresponsibility, alcohol and drug addiction. Recommendations are given on the prevention of recurrent criminality of those sentenced to forced labor. Conclusion: prevention of recidivism among those serving sentences in the form of forced labor should be carried out on the basis of an integrated approach, taking into account criminogenic factors, personality characteristics of convicts and the specifics of organizing the execution of this punishment, and include measures to comply with regime requirements, labor discipline, educational work, including in cooperation with employers and public organizations.
Keywords: Penal system; forced labor; recidivism; determinants of crime; identity of the criminal; crime prevention
2. Prozumentov L.M., Shesler A.V. Subject of Russian criminology. Vserossiiskii kriminologicheskii zhurnal = All-Russian Journal of Criminology, 2019, no. 3, pp. 369–384. (In Russ.).
3. Prozumentov L.M., Shesler A.V. Domestic scientific concepts of the causes of crime. Vserossiiskii kriminologicheskii zhurnal = All-Russian Journal of Criminology, 2014, no. 1, pp. 49–58. (In Russ.).
4. Gamazina I.V. Causality as one of forms of determination in criminology of crimes against justice. Vestnik Tyumenskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta = Bulletin of the Tyumen State Unversity, 2012, no. 4, pp. 391–395. (In Russ.).
5. Nesterova O.I. Determinants of penitentiary crime. In: Knowledge, Man and Civilization - ISCKMC 2020: Proceedings of International Scientific Congress (22–25 October, 2020, Complex Scientific Research Institute named after H.I. Ibragimov of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia). Available at: https://www.europeanproceedings.com/article/10.15405/epsbs.2021.05.156 (data obrashcheniya: 01.02.2025).
6. Dvoryanskov I.V., Sika A.M. Criminal subculture influence on criminal behavior of those sentenced to forced labor. Penitentsiarnaya nauka = Penitentiary Science, 2022, no. 4 (60), pp. 372–379. (In Russ.).
7. Nekrasov A.P., Ustinov A.A. Some question of the legislation of keeping of the unfree labor convicts. Vestnik Volzhskogo universiteta imeni V.N. Tatishcheva = Vestnik of Volzhsky University named after V.N. Tatishchev, 2021, no. 2, pp. 216–225. (In Russ.).
8. Wooldredge J. Prison culture, management and in-prison violence. Annual Review of Criminology, 2020, no. 3 (1), pp. 165–188.
9. Adorno S., Salla F. Criminalidadeorganizadanasprisões e osataques do PCC. EstudosAvançados, 2007, no. 21 (61), pp. 7–29.
10. Zelenyak I.M. Separate detention of convicts as a means of preventing self-determination of penitentiary crime. Chelovek: prestuplenie i nakazanie = Man: Crime and Punishment, 2010, no. 3, pp. 13–16. (In Russ.).
11. Krasil’nikova M.S. Criminological analysis of the crime of convicts in the correctional institutions. Vestnik Kuzbasskogo institute = Bulletin of the Kusbass Institute, 2020, no. 3, pp. 52–63. (In Russ.).
12. Ol’khovik N.V. Criminological characteristics of convicts to whom the unserved part of the deprivation of liberty has been replaced by forced labor. Vestnik Kuzbasskogo institute = Bulletin of the Kusbass Institute, 2022, no. 3 (52), pp. 81–87. (In Russ.).
13. Schenk A., Fremouw W. Individual characteristics related to prison violence: a critical review of the literature. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 2012, vol. 17, no. 5, pp. 430–442.
14. Kirillov M.A., Savel’ev V.V., Pavlichenko M.V. Criminality in places of confinement; main criminological features and tendencies. Vestnik Rossiiskogo universiteta kooperatsii = Bulletin of the Russian University of Cooperation, 2018, no. 4, pp. 107–112. (In Russ.).
15. Gorban’ D.V. Theoretical approaches to building a progressive system of execution and serving of criminal punishment in the form of forced labor. Vestnik Voronezhskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya “Pravo” = Bulletin of Voronezh State University. Series “Law”, 2018, no. 1 (32), pp. 162–169. (In Russ.).
16. Ruzsonyi P. Prison and crime prevention – crime prevention through prisoners’ preparation for successful reintegration. In: Of the 4th International Scientific and Professional Conference Police College Research Days in Zagreb. Zagreb. 2015. Pp. 221–240.
17. Isichenko A.P., Fumm A.M. On prospects of special investigative techniques for prevention of offenses the condemned to forced labor. Vedomosti UIS = Vedomosti of the Penal System, 2016, no. 1 (164), pp. 9–12. (In Russ.).
18. Ol’khovik N.V. Recidivism of convicts serving forced labor. Vestnik Kuzbasskogo institute = Bulletin of the Kuzbass Institute, 2021, no. 1 (46), pp. 45–53. (In Russ.).
19. Simagin A.O., Terent’eva D.D. Analysis of problematic issues of forced labor performance. Vestnik Samarskogo yuridicheskogo institute = Bulletin of the Samara Law Institute, 2022, no. 5 (51), pp. 129–134. (In Russ.).
20. Byakina S.I. Educational and preventive work with those sentenced to forced labor: legal aspects. Vedomosti UIS = Vedomosti of the Penal System, 2024, no. 6, pp. 47–54. (In Russ.).
21. Simagin A.O. Analysis of some problems concerning the execution of correctional labor sentences (based on the results of empirical study for 2017–2019). Vestnik Samarskogo yuridicheskogo institute = Bulletin of the Samara Law Institute, 2020, no. 3 (39), pp. 66–69. (In Russ.).
