FSIN: The number of minors in the colonies decreased by 10 times - to the historical minimum

The number of minor convicts serving sentences in Russian colonies has decreased by 10 times over the past 15 years. This was reported by RIA Novosti with reference to the press bureaus of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN).

"As of January 1, 2002, 18.6 thousand people were contained in educational colonies, and on May 1, 2017 - 1592 people," the department said. They clarified that in this way, the number of minors contained in educational colonies reached a historical minimum in the Russian Federation.

In March, the FSIN reported that the total number of prisoners in Russia has been at a record low level since the collapse of the USSR.

An employee of the press service explained that mainly the decrease in the number of convicts is associated with the decriminalization of a number of articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The expansion of the spectrum of punishments that are not related to isolation from society also played a role.

Currently, adolescents under 18 years of age receive a punishment of imprisonment mainly for serious and especially serious crimes. At the same time, social surveys show that almost every second Russian (48%) believes that full criminal liability for adolescents should advance from 16 years old, and not from 18 years old (40% against this). In particular, this is evidenced by a survey conducted in May of this year "Levada Center" .