Penal system and public associations: formats of interaction

Abstract

  This article examines the formats of interaction between the authorities and establishments of penal system and civil society. An important institutionalized element of civil society is the public associations, created for expression and protection of interests of their members of other citizens. Penal system, in turn, is closed for the general public, which questions the observance of rights and freedoms of a citizen within its framework. In the last decade, one of the vectors of state policy became the creation of conditions for more effective interaction of penal system and civil society, which according to legislator’s opinion will lead to humanization of the existing system. Based on the analysis of current legislation and its application, the conclusion is made on the formats of interaction between public associations and the structures of the Federal Penal Service that can be conditionally divided into organized and unorganized. Organized formats suggest work of the representatives of public association in social institutions, set by legislative acts, such as public council, public monitoring commission, supervisory board under the Federal Penal System. There is no information in the open sources regarding the implementation of unorganized forms of interaction. The author describes the ways for improvement such public activity for increasing its efficiency pertinent to protection of rights and freedoms of a citizen.