Federal Penitentiary Service reports:

Since the beginning of 2020, representatives of public monitoring commissions visited institutions of the penitentiary system 872 times, of which 501 were in correctional institutions and 371 in pre-trial detention centers.

Despite the implementation of a complex of sanitary and anti-epidemic, including restrictive measures related to the prevention of the incidence of new coronavirus infection among suspects, accused, convicted, from March 16, 2020 to June 9, 2020 members of the public monitoring commission visited the penitentiary facilities 202 times (including correctional facilities - 105, pre-trial detention facilities – 97).

Visits to penal correctional institutions by members of the public monitoring commission were limited due to the difficult epidemiological situation in the region, special conditions or quarantines were introduced.

But even during the period of quarantine measures, some territorial bodies of the FSIN of Russia continued to interact with members of the public monitoring commission and even developed a new format for such work.

Some territorial bodies of the FSIN of Russia continued to interact with members of the public monitoring commission and even developed a new format for such work in spite of the period of quarantine measures.

For example, members of the public monitoring commission of the Moscow Region were able to organize the consideration of appeals from suspects, accused, convicts and their relatives by e-mail, held a conference call with convicts serving sentences in correctional colony № 5 and took part in a video conference via an administrative commission in penal colony settlement № 3, they conducted a “direct line” with citizens by telephone. They answered questions related to ensuring the rights of accused, suspected and convicted persons during the introduction of special conditions with the administration of the Federal Penitentiary Service. In addition, an explanation was organized through the website of the public monitoring commission of the Moscow Region and the media about the issues that were most often addressed to them by prisoners and their relatives. Members of the public monitoring commission, in compliance with all sanitary requirements, visited pre-trial detention facility № 11, pre-trial detention facility № 8 and pre-trial detention facility № 2 in order to verify their activities in the new conditions. Human rights activists held meetings with the accused, suspects and convicts in a short-term meeting room through a glass. They discussed issues related to the conditions of detention, the provision of medical and social assistance in the institution. Representatives of the public monitoring commission of the Moscow Region paid special attention to the work of the online store and the "FSIN-letter" electronic message system, which allows people in places of forced detention to keep in touch with their families.

It is worth noting that during the period of restrictive measures, suspects, accused and convicted continued to communicate with their relatives by phone and using video without restrictions in accordance with the current legislation.

About 8.5 thousand telephone sets have been installed in the penitentiary institutions. Prisoners make more than 8 million calls annually. As well as 514 video terminals have been installed. Suspects, accused, convicted make more than 45 thousand video calls per year.