Improving the Institution of Disciplinary Liability of Penal System Employees: Theoretical and Applied Aspects
Nagornykh R.V. Improving the institution of disciplinary liability of penal system employees: theoretical and applied aspects. Penitentiary Science, 2026, vol. 20, no. 1 (73), pp. 91– 97. doi 10.46741/2686-9764.2026.73.1.011.
the article is devoted to topical issues of improving legal regulation of disciplinary liability of penal system employees in the general context of the development of the administrative and legal institution of disciplinary responsibility in the civil service system of the Russian Federation. The purpose of the article is to highlight theoretical and applied aspects of enhancing the institution of disciplinary liability in the penal system at the current stage of the civil service development in our country, improving the system of execution of criminal penalties, as well as current changes in legislation and law enforcement practice. The methodological basis of the work is formed by general scientific and private scientific (historical-legal, comparative-legal, descriptive, contentanalysis) methods of cognition of legal reality. Conclusions: the theory of disciplinary liability has been formed. Disciplinary liability should be considered not just as a method of punishment, but as a tool for improving the work and development of the entire team of employees. Modern management approaches emphasize the importance of motivation, trust and respect in the team. In this context, disciplinary procedures should serve as feedback to help employees grow professionally, form the right values, and feel like part of a team. In this regard, in relation to activities of the penal system, it is necessary not only to detail administrative procedures in the field of disciplinary responsibility of the personnel, but also to review its content and grounds, including in the field of distinguishing disciplinary offenses from administrative offenses, defining and differentiating types of disciplinary penalties taking into account the severity of guilt, developing a list of typical disciplinary offenses and their corresponding penalties with regard to their social harmfulness, etc. The scientific and practical significance of the work consists in substantiating the provisions that the improvement of legal regulation of the institution of disciplinary liability in the penal system is possible on the basis of the adoption of a single normative legal act on disciplinary liability of civil servants of the civil service in the law enforcement sphere (other types of service) – the Disciplinary Code of the State Law Enforcement Service of the Russian Federation. Such a legislative decision is due to the longoverdue need to return to the idea of adopting a single federal law on the state law enforcement service of the Russian Federation and the need to standardize departmental regulation in the field of public service
Keywords: service discipline; disciplinary liability; disciplinary penalties; penal system.
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