Compensation for Poor Conditions of Detention in Penitentiary Institutions of the Russian Federation: Problems of Legislation and Practice
Starostin S.A., Golodov P.V. Compensation for poor conditions of detention in penitentiary institutions of the Russian Federation: problems of legislation and practice. Penitentiary Science, 2025, vol. 19, no. 2 (70), pp. 165–172. doi 10.46741/2686-9764.2025.70.2.006.
The article discusses certain issues of the content and implementation of legislation establishing compensation for poor conditions of detention in penitentiary institutions of the Russian Federation, reveals socio-legal significance and features of the intersectoral legal institution under consideration. Purpose: based on the analysis of legislative regulation and the practice of awarding compensation for poor conditions of detention, to identify existing legal problems in this area and propose measures to solve them. Methods: formal-logical, system-structural and comparative-legal methods. Results: we have identified a number of problems in the area under study (administrative and penal legislation do not require a preliminary pre-trial appeal of the violation of detention conditions; there are no clear criteria for distinguishing violations of detention conditions and other violations, significant and minor violations, criteria for determining the amount of monetary compensation; legislation does not define the specifics of ensuring detention conditions for the suspected and accused during their transportation in special vehicles and special wagons; it is difficult to collect and secure evidence to refute violations that had occurred long before the claim was filed in court; there is no uniform judicial practice regarding the application of the statute of limitations; the convicted, suspected and accused abuse their right to appeal to the court). A number of proposals are formulated (to ensure strict and objective application of legal norms on the limitation period; to legislate types of detention conditions violations, the procedure for determining the compensation amount, and the requirement of a preliminary pre-trial appeal against officials’ actions (inaction) resulting in the violation of detention conditions; to provide for the possibility of filing an independent administrative claim only for compensation). Conclusion: the legal institution for the compensation for the violation of detention conditions is legally regulated, but there are problems to be addressed; monitoring of detected violations and carrying out appropriate preventive work will contribute to improving the effectiveness of its implementation.
Keywords: penal system; pre-trial detention center; correctional institution; detention conditions; administrative proceedings; recovery of compensation.
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