Research of the lifestyle and conditions of the special content of the criminal executive system of the Republic of Armenia

ABSTRACT

The paper examines the main aspects of the lifestyle and conditions of detention of the special contingent of “Abovyan”, “Vardashen” and “Armavir” penitentiary institutions. 250 convicts took part in the one-time study: women made up 21.2% (n=53), men 78.8% (n=197). The survey results revealed that the vast majority of respondents were serving their sentence for the first time, which is positive, since it speaks in favor of low recidivism in the country. Of the respondents, almost half had higher or incomplete higher education, the vast majority of respondents were married, lived in a separate apartment before imprisonment, and more than a third did not have children. Almost half of those convicted (43.2%) have never worked. 94.8% of respondents are able to work, the rest are pensioners due to age or illness. The study revealed unfavorable sanitary and hygienic conditions and the presence of insects in the PU, which was noted by more than a third of respondents. Issues of organization and diet also deserve attention, since in the vast majority of cases 68.8% of convicts ate food 1-2 times a day, 64.4% always add table salt to prepared food, which is a risk factor for the development of hypertension, excess weight, etc. Sleep disturbances were noted by 77.6% of respondents, almost half of the convicts (48.8%) are smokers, and 58.4% are physically inactive. It is very positive that the quality of work of prison medical staff was assessed as satisfactory by the majority of convicts (68.8%). According to 60.4% of respondents, there are no necessary conditions for obtaining or continuing education; almost half of the respondents (44.4%) considered employment opportunities in penitentiary insufficient.