Ukraine’s Prisoners in Figures

   Oleksandr Bukalov from Donetsk Memorial has complied a brief statistical report for 2012. 

As of 1 January 2013 there were 147, 112 prisoners in 182 places of confinement within the State Penitentiary Service (as against 154, 029 exactly one year earlier). There were thus 6, 917 prisoners less, a reduction of 4.49%.

In 2012 the State Penitentiary Service succeeded in stopping the trend towards an increase in the prison population observed over the previous two years.

The reduction was achieved almost exclusively (98%) by a significant fall in the number of remand prisoners held in SIZO [pre-trial detention centres].  

The number of convicted prisoners fell from 115, 068 to 114, 994, i.e. 74 prisoners less, or – 0.06%

They are held in 141 penal institutions, including:

9 minimum security units with general conditions for holding 6, 679 men (against 6, 108 in 2011);

35 medium security prisons for first-time offenders – 36, 861 prisoners (against 36, 524 in 2011);

In 41 medium security prisons for repeat offenders – 42, 809 prisoners (against 44, 735);

In 9 maximum security prisons – 4352 prisoners (against 4, 335);

In 4 minimum security prisons with more lenient conditions for 981 male prisoners (against 963).

SIZO

The number of remand prisoners in 32 SIZO in 2012 fell by 6, 778 (-18%) from 37, 632 to 30, 854.  Of these 2, 483 were at pre-trial investigation stage (against 4, 156 in 2011); court examination stage (before sentence) – 14, 212 (against 16, 871).

Thus the large number of remand prisoners is linked with the courts and with people awaiting the results of appeals.

The number of life prisoners rose during the year by 53 (in 2011 by 61; in 2010 by 90; in 2009 – by 90) and came to 1, 810 (against 1, 757).

13, 2 thousand people were sentenced to terms over 10 years (against 12, 6 thousand in 2011).

921 people (against 987 in 2011) were serving sentences of custodial arrest.

In 13 women’s prison colonies, there were 6, 053 prisoners (against 6, 108 in 2011).

There were 1, 264 juvenile offenders (against 1, 329) in 8 colonies for minors.

How these figures have changed since 2004 can be seen in the following table.

According to the State Penitentiary Service statistics, the prisoners are serving the following sentences:
16, 7 thousand  (against 17, 1 thousand) for murder, including 8.1 thousand (against 8.6 thousand) for murder with aggravating circumstances;

9, 9 thousand. (9, 8 thousand) – for deliberately inflicting serious bodily injuries 
28, 9 thousand (29, 5 thousand) – for burglary, robbery and extortion;
2, 4 thousand (2, 3 thousand) – for rape;
28 prisoners (24)  for seizing hostages;
21, 2 thousand (21, 9 thousand) – for drug-related crimes or other offences aimed against public health.

697 divisions of the Penal Inspection Service had 153, 182 people on their records sentence to punishments not entailing deprivation of liberty, and administrative penalties. This was against 168, 024 in 2011, a fall of -8.8% over the year).

48, 5 thousand employees, as against 46, 1 thousand), were responsible for carrying out the duties of the State Penal Service, with a staffing number of 54, 1 thousand posts (as against 52.3 thousand in 2011.)