July 2007

Once known as the ‘land of the prison camps’, Kazakhstan is trying to shed its punitive past. Reforms of the juvenile justice system, for example, have resulted in more humane conditions of detention and the increased use of alternative sanctions to imprisonment.

Juvenile colony 155/6 is situated in the city of Almaty in the southern region of the Central Asian republic. Five years ago, the number of detainees more than twice outstripped prison capacity. Over 1,000 detainees were kept in facilities designed to hold just 550.

The introduction of community based sanctions for young offenders, however, means that prison terms are now reserved only for those who have committed the most serious of crimes. Only 67 juveniles are currently detained in the colony.

A wide range of recreational activities are also on offer, including music, dance, art and sport. A football team of students from the local law college regularly play against the detainees and artwork adorns the walls of the canteen. Girls from a local vocational college also attend once a month to participate in ballroom dancing classes. Prayer rooms and rest rooms are also available for private meditation and relaxation.

Preparing the detainees for their eventual release into the community lies at the heart of all activities. One-to-one support is provided by trained psychologists and youth workers. Detainees are additionally given the opportunity to write reconciliatory letters to victims to enable them to come to terms with the offences they have committed and the impact it has had on others.

The culmination of these activities is that detainees are better equipped to deal with the practical and emotional demands of adult life. For one 17-year old detainee, his release date later this year marks a new beginning to which he looks forward with hope and ambition. Asked about his future plans, he replies that he would like to go to college so that he can eventually become a translator. English is just one of the skills he has learnt whilst in the colony.

When asked if the introduction of community based sanctions has had positive benefits for the prison system, Omarzhan Tokhtiyev, Deputy Governor of the colony, replies with a resounding, “Of course. The standard of living for juveniles remaining in the colony has vastly improved. And there have also been benefits for the staff, who are now able to devote more time and energy to supervising individual detainees.”

Community based sanctions therefore are not only to the benefit of the young offenders diverted from prison but also to those who remain in detention.

Since 2001, PRI has been working to improve the management of prisons in Central Asia by making institutions more open and transparent and by increasing adherence to international human rights standards. Considerable progress has been made in promoting and implementing alternatives to imprisonment, particularly with regards to juvenile offenders. PRI continues to work closely with state authorities and NGOs in the region, notably on improving health in prisons and promoting the abolition of the death penalty.

Further information
Central Asia