Staff of DPR Ombudsman Office carried out inspection of the conditions of detention of persons serving sentences in Volnovakha correctional colony. They also paid special attention to observance of convicts’ rights by the administration of the facility.
By the time of the visit, 129 convicts have been serving their sentences in the institution. Convicted prisoners are provided with individual beds and bedding as well as personal hygiene products. Bathroom and laundry facilities are available within the facility.
The convicts get adequate food in line with the established norms. There is a canteen in a separate building. There is a bakery, a subsidiary farm and a prison commissary on the territory of the colony.
In line with the legislation in force, convicted persons enjoy the right to short and long visits. There are 12 rooms available for visits. Planned repair works are being carried out in three of them.
There is a medical unit in a two-storey building in the territory of the colony. On the first floor, there are rooms for medical staff, and on the second floor, there are two medical wards with a capacity of 6-8 persons each. Inpatient and outpatient treatment is available. Planned fluorography is carried out through a mobile laboratory. Activities to prevent communicable diseases are organised. Medical examination of newly-arrived convicts is carried out.
There is a club, where inmates watch films, attend lectures and concerts. Also, in the territory of the correctional facility, there is a Church of St.George and a font for religious rituals.
There is a school where convicts can obtain secondary education. Currently, 14 people attend the school. They are provided with all necessary school supplies and books.
The convicts are allowed to work if they wish. The Volnovakha correctional colony specializes in manufacturing goods from rolled metal products. An eight-hour working day in one shift has been established in the facility. Workers in the production area are provided with workwear, footwear and other personal protective equipment. The convicts get paid in accordance with the current legislation.
As part of the inspection, staff of DPR Ombudsman Office conducted a personal reception and interviewed the convicts. There were no complaints regarding the actions of the administration of the facility, as well as inappropriate detention conditions or lack of necessary medical assistance during the interviews with the convicts.
