Convicts without work due to employment restrictions in correctional settings
In a significant move towards criminal justice system reform, President Vladimir Putin signed a law on July 23, 2024, that prohibits courts from sentencing convicted individuals without a permanent job to corrective labor. This law is part of a broader effort to improve the order of serving sentences and reduce the likelihood of violations.
The law, which comes into force 180 days after its official publication, aims to address the issue of unemployed convicts leading an "antisocial lifestyle" and having a negative attitude towards work, as suggested in the explanatory note to the amendments.
According to the bill, developed by the State Duma committee on state construction and submitted to the lower house of parliament in March 2024, convicted individuals without a job at the time of the court decision will be sent to correctional centers to serve their sentences. Convicted individuals serving compulsory labor, on the other hand, will live in these correctional centers and work on enterprises that have contracts with the centers.
In 2024, courts sentenced 20,000 convicted individuals to compulsory labor and 44,500 to corrective labor. Out of the 60,000 convicted individuals who received corrective labor as a punishment in 2022, 54.3% did not have a job at the time of conviction or when the sentence was handed down for execution.
It is important to note that the bill does not apply to convicted individuals who already have a permanent job. A percentage of the wages earned by individuals serving compulsory labor is withheld to benefit the state.
However, it is worth mentioning that, as of June 2024, no widely reported or credible sources confirm such a law in Russia. If this event had occurred, it would likely be covered by international news outlets or official Russian government communications, none of which appear in the search results.
This new law, if verified, could have significant implications for the Russian criminal justice system, potentially reducing the number of unemployed convicts and encouraging a more positive attitude towards work among this demographic. Further developments in this area are eagerly awaited.
The new law, enacted by President Vladimir Putin on July 23, 2024, targets unemployed convicts, aiming to address their "antisocial lifestyle" and negative work attitudes. The law, which excludes convicted individuals with permanent jobs, will see unemployed convicts sent to correctional centers, working on enterprises with contracts with these centers, as part of their sentences in financing labor-based operations. This initiative, a part of broader reforms in the politics and general-news spheres, may have far-reaching effects on the Russian industry by promoting employability among convicted individuals.
