Jamilya Dzhamanbaeva, the Ombudsman of Kyrgyzstan, recently visited the women's colony of the State Penitentiary Service located in the village of Stepnoye (institution No. 2).
The purpose of the visit was to monitor the conditions of incarcerated women. Dzhamanbaeva inspected various facilities of the colony, including the children's home, medical point, kitchen, and dormitory.
During her visit, the Ombudsman met with women, including two minors and foreign citizens serving their sentences. About 40 inmates took the opportunity to have personal conversations with Dzhamanbaeva, receiving legal consultations and submitting written requests.
Many of them sought assistance regarding parole. Some reported difficulties related to probation, complained about court decisions, and issues with calculating the time spent in pre-trial detention, where one day is counted as two.
Those who wanted to appeal court decisions sought support from the Ombudsman and lawyers.
Two inmates also requested help in obtaining passports, as they only had Soviet documents left.
The women convicted of fraud expressed dissatisfaction that the conditions for parole do not apply to them until 75% of the damage to the victims is paid.
According to the inmates, personal hygiene products are mainly provided in the form of household soap, while other items are supplied irregularly.
The colony has a sewing workshop and a bakery where women work. In addition, they are employed in the kitchen, hair salon, and store. The inmates did not express dissatisfaction with the working conditions and noted a recent increase in wages.
On the territory of the colony, there is a children's home where five mothers live with their children under three years old, including an infant who is only two weeks old. The mothers reported that they have everything necessary for living.
However, the inmates also pointed out a lack of medications, especially for elderly women.
Currently, seven women are receiving treatment at the medical point, including a 69-year-old inmate diagnosed with stage three cancer, who requested assistance for release due to health reasons.
There are 18 foreign citizens from Kazakhstan, India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and other countries in the institution, some of whom have requested extradition to their homeland.
In total, there are 292 women in the colony aged from 17 to 78 years. Of these, 248 are in the general regime, 22 are in strict conditions, and 34 are in a strict regime.
Following the monitoring and review of complaints, recommendations will be sent to the relevant state authorities. It is worth noting that the Chairman of the State Penitentiary Service Chyngyz Kozhoshev was also present during the visit.
