Kyrgyzstan Shuts Down All Penal Colonies as Part of Reform

Kyrgyzstan has decided to shut down the last settlement-style penal colonies. Authorities have approved the closure of six remaining institutions-types of correctional facilities that have become outdated. This initiative forms part of broader reforms aimed at reducing bureaucracy in government administration.

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Barbed wire

Phased Approach to Closure

The reform has been implemented gradually. In 2025, lawmakers amended the relevant Codes and legal acts, leading to the closure of the first group of settlement colonies. On January 28, 2026, the government approved the closure of the second group-Institutions No. 26, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 52.

Legal Framework and Reform Goals

The reform rests on the law passed on July 31, 2025, No. 181, which removed settlement-style colonies from the Kyrgyz Criminal-Executive Code. The initiative aims for a modern, efficient approach: eliminating overlapping functions with probation, using state resources more rationally, and ensuring the rights of staff in the closing institutions are fully respected.

What This Means for Inmates

• Conditions may become stricter if inmates are transferred to general-regime colonies.
• In some cases, authorities may reconsider how sentences are served-for example, substituting probation or other restrictions on freedom, where the law and circumstances allow.