In September and October 2022, the number of prisoners in Russian correctional colonies decreased by 23 thousand people. Mediazona writes about this with reference to the data of the Federal Penitentiary Service. There were no such sharp jumps even with the most massive amnesties.
At the beginning of August, almost 349 thousand people were kept in correctional colonies, by September there were 1,000 fewer prisoners, and by the beginning of October and the beginning of November there was a sharp drop: 338 thousand and 325 thousand, respectively. In total, more than 23 thousand prisoners disappeared from the colonies in two months.
In the spring of 2015, when an amnesty was held in Russia on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Victory, the number of prisoners decreased by approximately 15,000 in two months. The second comparable reduction in the prison population – by 17,000 people – occurred at the beginning of 2020.
The reduction in the number of prisoners occurs against the background of the recruitment of their Wagner PMCs for the war in Ukraine.
Back in August, the convicts told The Insider that the owner of PMC Wagner, recidivist criminal Yevgeny Prigozhin personally recruits prisoners in Russian colonies, offering to be released in six months for participation in hostilities in Ukraine. Prigogine himself was tried for theft, fraud and involvement of minors in criminal activities. His mercenaries are involved in many operations abroad, in many cases (as in the invasion of Ukraine) under the direct command of the GRU. He got the nickname "Putin's chef" because he organized Kremlin dinners. Also, one of the founders of the PMC finances the "Internet Research Agency" – the largest "troll factory" in Russia.
At the end of October, the State Duma adopted in the third reading a law that allows the mobilization of citizens who have an unexpunged or outstanding conviction for a number of serious crimes – judging by the list of exceptions, murderers and rapists are also sent to war in Ukraine.