Russia to build 11 new pretrial detention centres as budget for prison expansion triples

The Russian government has announced plans to construct 11 new pretrial detention centres across the country due to excessive overcrowding in existing facilities nationwide.

According to an official announcement published on a government website on Friday, 11 new pretrial detention centres capable of holding an additional 11,230 detainees are required — one of which is to be built in annexed Crimea — as well as 14 new detention blocks capable of housing a further 3,420 convicts within existing prisons and penal colonies.

The authorities also announced plans to upgrade four existing penitentiary facilities, as well as 118 non-residential facilities in existing pretrial detention centres.

Overall, the 10-year budget for the expansion of Russia’s prison system has been more than tripled, with the 105 billion rubles (€1.1 billion) previously allocated now set to rise to 359 billion (€3.8 billion).

According to the document, the number of people held in pretrial detention centres in some 13 regions of Russia has exceeded the legal maximum over the past five years.

In late July, Vladimir Putin signed new legislation into law allowing Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) to build and run its own detention centres, for which it can establish its own norms for how detainees are held, transported, and investigated.

In addition to allowing the FSB to create its own facilities, the law will see control of at least seven existing pretrial detention centres pass from Russia’s Justice Ministry to the FSB, including the notorious Lefortovo pretrial detention facility in Moscow.