Network in custody

Report from the computer class of the Ikshan colony

Information technology in places not so remote (an hour and a half from Moscow by train) today cannot be prohibited, just as water supply and electricity cannot be prohibited. They are not banned. But most prisoners are not at all eager for virtual freedom.

“You will have to hand over your passport and phone; you cannot use the phone on the territory of the colony,” warns the acting officer. regime chief Sergei Litvinenko. Even before the trip to the colony, colleagues claimed that even prisoners (of non-maximum security colonies) were supposedly allowed to have cell phones. But miracles don’t happen—it’s impossible. Only employees may use telephones within the zone. And for prisoners there is a payphone at the checkpoint.

In the Ikshansky educational colony, I expected to see stern guards with machine guns, angry shepherd dogs on a leash, barred windows and barbed wire around the perimeter. Apart from the barbed wire fence, everything turned out to be wrong. The territory of the colony is more reminiscent of a youth camp: a spacious courtyard, along the perimeter of which there are residential buildings (music was blaring from the windows), a school, a sports ground, a flagpole and a stand with a schedule of events.

Children aged 14-20 years are serving their sentences in the colony. They are imprisoned for theft, robbery and even murder. Prisoners move around the territory without guards or escort. Actually, there is nowhere to go - to the sports ground and to school.

The Ikshansky colony school has two computer classes: one for computer science lessons, the other for prison students. Prisoner Dmitry Merkulov is responsible for the operation of computer equipment. The guy is 19 years old, he has been in prison for a year and seven months. He's in jail for drug possession. When he was free, he worked on computer technology, which was useful in prison. “We don’t have a full-time system administrator, Merkulov replaces him. We call specialists when we need to do something that he can’t do or doesn’t know,” explains Sergei Litvinenko.

The first computer class was equipped in the colony in 2002 with the money of Mikhail Khodorkovsky (YUKOS, as a regular division of the company, included the Federation of Internet Education - Full name, which trained teachers in computer science and supplied computers to schools, including in the colonies). The Internet was launched quite recently. Many colonists still have no idea why it is needed.

Attempts to communicate with prisoners on this topic failed. A guy is sitting in front of me, he is 16 years old. Sentenced to three and a half years (!) for murder.

-- Do you go online during computer science lessons?

- Yes, it happens.

- What sites do you visit most often?

- I don’t know, different, probably.

It is impossible to achieve more. Similar monosyllabic, sluggish answers are repeated a dozen times.

“Are they really not interested or were they just embarrassed?” - I ask Dmitry Merkulov. “Most people are not interested in computers, and neither are the Internet,” he replies. “But there are also those who want to learn.” For example, several other guys are in the computer class with me.”

Colonists gain access to the Internet only during computer science classes. Prisoners have their own “zone” on the Internet. Porn resources, dating sites, social networks, sites containing information about weapons and violence, and fast messaging services (ICQ, in particular) are closed for viewing. The rest - please. But most prisoners use the Internet only to prepare their homework. “And some, when they come to the colony, don’t even know how to write or read. What kind of computer do they need?” laments prison school teacher Natalya Karina. “We, of course, try to teach them something, but they are afraid to work on computers!”

In second grade, technology is newer. There are bars on the windows (one of the few places in the colony with bars), and an iron door. Students study here. The prisoners received this opportunity thanks to the collaboration of the colony with the Modern Humanitarian University (this university specializes in distance learning). At a reduced price (6 thousand rubles per semester), colonists can get a profession. The most popular faculties at the moment are economics, as well as management and administration. There are few students yet. These are mainly those who acquired computer and Internet skills while still free. People like Dima Merkulov. Together with a small team, he is busy developing the colony's website. He says it will work soon.

Saying goodbye, Dmitry asks: “Do you go online, do you have ICQ?” I was ready to be surprised (who doesn’t go there?), but then I remembered where, in fact, we were. “Yes, but I don’t remember the number,” I answered. Dmitry smiled: “I don’t remember mine either.” And he reached into his pocket for a small notebook in search of numbers, then he dictated the number and asked him to write.

But, as it turned out after entering the number into the contact sheet, the prisoner Merkulov is always offline. Apparently, his “sysadmin” privileges are not enough to overcome the prison ban on ICQ.

Olga FEDINA, iToday, - specially for Vremya Novostei