Russia introduces restriction of liberty, including house arrest.

Russia introduces restriction of liberty, including house arrest.

MOSCOW, January 10 (Itar-Tass) - Russia is introducing on Sunday a
principally new kind of punishment for crimes - restriction of liberty,
including house arrest.

On the New Year's eve Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a law
on the introduction of this kind of punishment that from January 10
introduces amendments to the Criminal Code and Correctional Code.
According to the Kremlin's release, Dmitry Medvedev signed the Federal
Law on Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts in Connection with Entry
into Force of Provisions in the Russian Criminal and Criminal Correctional
Codes on Restriction of Freedom as a Sentencing Measure. The provisions
come into force on January 10, 2010. Under the changes, courts can limit a
convicted person's freedom by setting restrictions on the right to change
one's place of abode, work or study, travel beyond a specific territory,
be outside one's home at certain times of day, visit particular places,
and can also set other particular obligations for the convicted individual.
Punishment in the form of restricted freedom will be set from two
months to four years as the main sentence for crimes of low or medium
seriousness, and from six months to two years as an additional punishment
for some types of serious and particularly serious crimes involving
violations committed against human life, public security, and the
foundations of the state's constitutional order and security, the release
says.
Restriction of liberty envisages that the convict will not go to a
penal colony, but is partially deprived of freedom falling under the ban
to change the place of residence, work or study, to go outside the city or
district, to leave the house during the night and so on. Under the new law
restriction of liberty, including house arrest for a period from two
months to four years may be used as the main punishment for minor crimes.
It also can be applied as punishment for a number of grave and
particularly grave crimes as an addition to imprisonment - for a term of
six months to two years.
The new kind of punishment can be imposed after the New Year holidays
when courts resume the consideration of criminal cases. Restriction of
liberty at first is expected to be imposed rarely, however the judicial
practice will gradually be worked out on this issue.
The kind of punishment in the form of restriction of liberty had been
included in the new RF Criminal Code back in 1996 and its application was
to be started before 2001. However, its real use was delayed due to the
lack of the law determining the order of its application.
According to the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), some 113
thousand persons to which this quite humane kind of punishment can be
applied may appear in the country annually. Meanwhile, restriction of
liberty may be go together with the electronic control means - the
so-called "electronic bracelets." They will in an online regime determine
the person's whereabouts and even trace his movements via satellite
communication. Russia's analogue of house arrest may become the second
important kind of punishment without imprisonment after conviction.
According to FSIN representatives, it is four times more expensive as
a minimum to keep people in prisons that to use the electronic control
system. The main its advantage is that the offender gets another chance to
mend his ways and stay outside the influence of the criminal environment
that is the most harmful for those who get prison term for the first time.
-0-ezh