Formation of personnel corps of the Soviet penal system in the Altai province (1919-1925)

After liberation of Altai from the White Guard authorities at the end of 1919, construction of the Soviet penal system has begun. In the province the structure of jails was created. The important role was played thus by personnel potential. However, one-sided, often irrational class approach not only deprived penal system of the Altai province of high quality old school specialists, but also attracted to service unprepared recruits from the poorest segments of the population. Service of no prestige, a low wage, lack of the adjusted office vocational training did not improve qualitative structure. A suspense of a personnel question in turn negatively affected activity of penal system in the Altai province in 1919-1925. At the end of 1919 began the gradual process of restoration and development of the Soviet system of jails which was interrupted during White Guard coup in the Altai province in 1918. The form and conditions of the organization of camps, the maintenance of prisoners in them was in details regulated by the April, 1919 resolution of ACEC (All-Russian Central Executive Committee) "About forced-labor camps" where obligation of physical work of prisoners was provided and a task of full self-sufficiency of camps was set. In 1921-1922 in system of the Soviet jails functioned: custodies, corrective-labor houses, agricultural and craft colonies; transitional penitentiaries. There were insulating prisons of two types: one - for the maintenance of persons condemned with strict isolation who on character of the committed crime needed a particular treatment, others - for the maintenance of prisoners who serving sentence in general prisons don't submit to the rules. In Biysk in June, 1922 during the check of the lockup house it was revealed that the structure where the lockup house was situated was spacious but shabby. Thus, formation of the staff of the Soviet penal system in the Altai province (1919-1925) faced some serious problems: the competition of various Soviet departments on the right to direct all system of jails, class approach in completing, weak material resources, deficiency of service premises, high risk of a profession, a symbolical salary. Unpopularity of being a "jailer" considerably reduced the overall performance of criminal and executive system. The penal system of the Kolchak's regime, almost destroyed, suffered actually from the same problems, also left its own mark. Creation of vocational training among employees of places of imprisonment was in embryo and had practically no impact on improvements of personnel staff of penal system of the Altai province in 1919-1925.

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