Actual directions of penal enforcement policy of the Russian Federation
Authors:   Lomonosov Moscow State University, Seliverstov Vyacheslav I. , Grushin Fedor V. ,   FKU Research Institute of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia
Published: November 2024

The purpose of this article was to analyse the current topical directions of the penal enforcement policy of the Russian Federation, which is quite dynamic, constantly developing and improving, taking into account the influence of economic, political, social and spiritual factors on it. There are quite a large number of topical directions of the penal enforcement policy of the Russian Federation, among which the authors have identified the following: humanisation of the execution and serving of criminal sentences; ensuring the rights and legitimate interests of convicts; optimisation of the organisational and structural structure of the system of institutions and bodies executing criminal sentences; ensuring the security of the penal enforcement system and other subjects of penal enforcement relations; introduction of information technologies; implementation of inter-prisoner relations; and implementation of the international legal framework. Humanisation was most clearly manifested in changes in the types of regime and conditions of serving sentences for socially vulnerable categories of convicts. The trend of humanisation has affected both those convicted of crimes of minor and medium gravity and those convicted of serious and especially serious crimes, including those serving life imprisonment. In order to ensure the rights and legitimate interests of convicted prisoners, it is necessary to create effective safeguards to protect them from cruel or inhuman treatment, unlawful violence and the use of torture. Within the framework of optimising the organisational and structural design of the system of institutions and bodies executing criminal sentences, there are three projects reflected in the conceptual documents. In ensuring the security of the penal correctional system and other subjects of criminal-executive relations and the introduction of information technologies, it is planned to create a comprehensive system for the protection of the information system operating in the penal correctional system, including the protection of the personal data of both inmates and correctional personnel. An important element of security is the technical equipment of correctional institutions and correctional centres. Within the framework of the implementation of international standards in penal legislation and practical activities of the penal correctional system, it is pointed out that due to recent foreign policy events, the considered direction of penal policy is now beginning to lose its dominant importance, however, in the current realities, additional measures should be taken to strengthen national guarantees of respect for the rights of convicted prisoners, created, among other things, by taking into account the UN international standards in the field of treatment of prisoners. The constant and priority directions in the development of penal enforcement policy over the past decades have been the humanisation of the procedure and conditions for serving sentences and ensuring the rights and legitimate interests of convicts. However, this constancy of penal enforcement policy does not prevent the emergence of new directions, which are reflected in the current penal enforcement legislation and the activities of institutions and bodies executing criminal sentences and other measures of a criminal-legal nature.