To the question of detention regime of prisoners in imprisonment places in West Siberia during the Great Patriotic War

The regime for prisoners in Soviet labor camps during the war was based on the order of the NKVD of the USSR dated August 2, 1939. Prisoners were forbidden to have weapons, all types of alcoholic beverages, narcotic drugs, drugs, sharp objects (knives, razors, scissors, nail files, etc.), playing cards, Cologne, documents, money, bonds, military topographic maps, plans and location maps of areas. Preventive maintenance of regime detention was viewing of convicts’ correspondence. At least twice a month narrow searches should have been provided in the premises where prisoners lived. If prisoners violated the detention regime they could be sent to do harder work to the penal camp point or punishment cell, or transfer to penal ration. During the Great Patriotic the demand for increased protection and isolation of prisoners was increased. Supervisors get the prohibition to issue newspapers, to provide family visits, censorship for correspondence prisoners increased. The situation with observance of the regime in Western Siberia worsened due to sharp increase in the number of prisoners in connection with the transfer of prisoners from the Western parts of the country. Often the violation of detention in places of deprivation of freedom was associated with the negligent performance of their duties by the employees of the penitentiary system. Punishment cell for violators of detention regime was in a bad condition. The incarceration in punitive confinement was often without compliance of established procedure, on written messages, without giving any reason for recovery of penalty and term. Searches were rare there. The number of prison breaks was great in the war. 60 prisoners in 1944 and 67 prisoners in 1945 committed prison breaks due to gross breaches of discipline in Altai. Prison breaks were possible because there were non-compliance of measures of prisoners’ supervision by the administration of Siberian prisons. Work tools (crowbars, shovels, saws, axes) lay around in the barracks where prisoners lived, and it gave them the opportunity to make a tunnel and attack the guards. Prisoners had committed disobedience acts, had encouraged other prisoners to riot and attack on the NKVD in some penal institutions. Addicted to breaks and thieves-recidivists were not fully monitored by the administration of the colonies and camps in a number of prisons. Existed hardest living conditions of prisoners in places of detention which led to frequent diseases and high mortality rates among inmates contributed to the regime violation too. Detention violations of socialist legality by the NKVD did not also improve the situation. There were various planned measures to strengthen the regime of remand prisoners and convicted in the years of the war in connection with the grave situation in the country caused terrible consequences of military actions.

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