Prisons for women in Russia

47,000 women in Russia are far from their homes serving their prison term.
There are 26 prison for women in Russia, and most women in them are far from their homes. Convicted men are in better position - there are prisons for men in every Russian region
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Being far from home, women have less opportunities to see their families and children than men. Their family ties are collapsing. Deprivation of freedom is much harder for women than for men. Women need more clothes and means of hygiene, more comfort and conditions for grooming themselves. Prison does not provide all this.

Prison regulations are hard to tolerate for women. They suffer because of the request to wear uniform and go in groups. Imprisoned women have minimum of personal belongings (the list of the allowed items for women is almost as the similar list for men). Women in prison are required to follow the same regulations as convicted men: the same number of allowed appointments with their relatives and parcels from them, the same kind of work, similar punishments for breaking the regulations. Pregnant women are placed in the same prison cell with others (stuffy and smoked) and have the same food. Two months after delivery the woman is required to continue working, and after that she is allowed to see her child only once a day – during breastfeeding when she can see the baby for one or two hours. After the baby turns two years old, he/she is taken away from the mother. No social assistance given to women outside the prison, is provided to the convicted women.

Woman in prison is in much worse position than man. As a result, her normal life – family ties, relations with children – collapse. Convicted women become sick, they often feel humiliation and failure to protect their rights.

"Memorial",
Public Center for Improving Detention System “Prison and Freedom"