Prison Reform

From MT:
"Russian Prison Service to Match Compatible Cellmates"

Cellmates in some Russian prisons will be matched up on the basis of their psychological compatibility as part of a pilot project announced on Thursday by Russia's Federal Penal Service.

The project will be implemented in the regions of Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Komi and Bashkortostan, and will affect a range of different prison facilities, including a women's prison and a maximum-security colony. The initiative is expected to prevent the "strong" prisoners from bullying the "weak" ones Anatoly Rudny, first deputy director of the Federal Penal Service, told Rossiiskaya Gazeta on Thursday. It was not immediately clear how psychological compatibility would be determined for purposes of the pilot project. Russia has the world's third largest prison population. According to Rudny, 556,000 people — more than half of whom are recidivists — are currently serving out their sentences in Russia's 727 prison facilities.

^ I have seen documentaries about Russian prisons, work camps, etc and they are extremely harsh. It reminds you of the stories you hear or read about life in the Gulags. Apparently, the Gulags weren't really done away with  - they were just renamed. I understand that there are many countries and prison systems around the world (ie the US, Canada, etc) where going to some prisons is like going on a vacation. I don't think prisons should be like either extreme (ie either too harsh or too care-free.) It would be nice to see Russia really reform its prison system. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russian-prison-service-to-match-compatible-cellmates/502212.html