A scandal has erupted in the correctional colony of Balashov, Saratov region, as it was discovered that one of the convicts had organized an underground casino with playing cards and chips. The 32-year-old "dealer" transferred money to the winning prisoners through a mobile phone, which he hid in a secret compartment. However, unexpected things have been found in Russian prisons before, ranging from homemade stills and illegal sword manufacturing to entire plantations of cannabis. This article from Lenta.ru explores the unusual and forbidden ways in which prisoners in Russia spend their time.
In March 2012, prosecutors in the Republic of Altai discovered an elite relaxation zone in correctional colony No. 1. The "rooms" of the improvised hotel were located in utility rooms near the dining area. The rooms were equipped with various appliances and furniture, and food products were also found. Some of the rooms had sleeping prisoners who had money to afford such luxuries. It turned out that they were sleeping not because they were tired, but because they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Secret compartments were also found where prisoners hid their mobile phones with chargers. As a result of the investigation, six employees of the colony were held accountable, while eight supervisors were deprived of bonuses, and the "hotel" in the colony was shut down.
In November 2012, a riot broke out in correctional colony No. 6 in the city of Kopeysk, Chelyabinsk, which led to an unplanned inspection of the correctional facility. During the inspection, an underground workshop for the production of cold weapons was discovered on the premises of the colony. Numerous knives and swords produced in the colony were confiscated, even though the facility did not have permission to manufacture such items. In addition to the weapons workshop, two other illegal enterprises were operating in the colony, involving the processing of medical materials and the production of souvenirs. The prisoners working in these enterprises earned ten thousand rubles per month, and the rest of the profits went into the pockets of the management, evading taxes. As a result, criminal cases were initiated against the 33-year-old head of the colony, Denis Mekhanov, for abuse of official powers and organizing the illegal manufacturing of cold weapons. According to the investigation, Mekhanov's abuses led to the prisoner revolt. In December 2014, Mekhanov, the former head of correctional colony No. 6, was sentenced to three years probation, and 12 employees of the regional Federal Penitentiary Service were held accountable.
From November 2015 to January 2016, prisoners at Correctional Colony No. 7 in St. Petersburg, located on Latyshskikh Strelkov Street, were involved in illegal cigarette production. This was discovered during an inspection conducted by the Internal Security Department of the Central Office of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia. The inspectors found remnants of unsold Belomorkanal and Prima cigarettes in the production area. It turned out that empty cigarette packs for counterfeit products were coming from Veliky Novgorod, tobacco from Azerbaijan, and paper supplies from Bulgaria. The finished products with counterfeit excise stamps were sold in several Russian cities. The chief suspect in the case of illegal tobacco production was Violetta Kontseva, the head of the Offenders' Labor Adaptation Center. She concealed the fact of illegal production of tobacco products with knowingly counterfeit special marks from November 1, 2015, to January 29, 2016, during her time working for the Federal Penitentiary Service. Kontseva's case went to court, but since she pleaded guilty and compensated for the damage, the criminal prosecution was terminated in February 2020, with only a fine of 30,000 rubles imposed.
In November 2018, Vyacheslav Tsepovyaz, a convicted member of the Tsapkov gang, one of the most brutal organized crime groups in modern Russian history, became involved in a scandal. Photos appeared online showing the convict, sentenced to 20 years in prison, feasting on delicacies. Tsepovyaz's prison menu in Amur Correctional Colony No. 3 included Far Eastern crab, red caviar, and kebabs. However, the illegal privileges enjoyed by the inmate did not end there. He set up his own garden and beekeeping on the premises of the colony. His plots were located next to the common areas, separated by a fence with a gate. Tsepovyaz even recorded videos of his gardens during his walks. The facts of the convict's comfortable life were confirmed after an inspection, which resulted in the dismissal and subsequent prosecution of Alexander Radkov, the head of Correctional Colony No. 3, for abuse of official powers. Radkov was fined 40,000 rubles, while the head of the Federal Penitentiary Service in the Amur region, Oleg Zavyalov, received disciplinary action for his involvement in the Tsapk-Crab Eater case.
In the early 2020s, Saratov Correctional Colony No. 7 gained a bad reputation. Dangerous repeat offenders serving their sentences there actively obstructed inspections by the Federal Penitentiary Service, often resorting to violence. For example, in the autumn of 2021, a 46-year-old convict unexpectedly attacked an inspector, punching him in the chest. In November of the same year, another inmate in Correctional Colony No. 7 fatally stabbed his cellmate. Criminal cases multiplied, and law enforcement officers began to suspect that there might be some underlying cause for the convicts' abnormal behavior. At the end of 2021, it was revealed that there were several reasons for the misconduct.
Firstly, during a routine inspection, inspectors found a moonshine still inside the colony, which the prisoners had used to produce about 20 liters of alcohol. In addition, a whole cannabis plantation was discovered on the territory adjacent to one of the buildings of Correctional Colony No. 7. The investigation revealed that narco-containing plants were being cultivated on the colony's premises, and narcotics of plant origin were being stored. As a result of the inspection, several officials of the colony were accused of negligence and abuse of official powers. They were later sentenced.
In late August, before the events in the Balashov colony mentioned at the beginning of this article, another underground casino was discovered in Correctional Colony No. 14 on Makarenko Street in Novocherkassk, Rostov region. It was found that a 30-year-old convict, sentenced to four years for theft, had organized gambling behind bars. Playing cards, chips, several SIM cards, and a mobile phone for transferring winnings to the winners were found in his cell. The inmate kept lists of players, recorded game results, and transferred money to bank accounts twice a month. According to entries in the inmate's notebook, the total amount of monthly winnings was about 100,000 rubles. The enterprising prisoner now faces an additional two years behind bars for the crime of organizing illegal gambling, as well as a fine of 500,000 rubles.
