Prospects for introducing innovations in Russian penitentiary institutions to be discussed at SPILF 2025

On 19 May 2025, as part of the 13th St. Petersburg International Legal Forum, a session titled “Innovative Models of Penal Institutions” will be held.

Experts will discuss a project to establish a unified-type facility in Russia that incorporates advanced organizational and engineering solutions, along with modern digital technologies, including the use of artificial intelligence. The proposed innovations aim to improve conditions for inmates and create a modern working environment for courts, lawyers, prosecutors, and civil society organizations.

The session will also devote significant attention to international experience in the operation of penitentiary institutions.

“Many penitentiary institutions in modern Russia have been inherited not only from the Soviet era but also from pre-revolutionary times. The Concept for the Development for the Penal System of the Russian Federation until 2030 envisions a substantial modernization of penitentiary infrastructure. Ensuring decent conditions for serving sentences, together with the probation system currently being implemented in Russia, is intended to support the unified goal of rehabilitation, social integration, and reintegration of inmates, ultimately contributing to a reduction in repeat offences,” said Deputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation Vadim Balanin.

The Deputy Minister noted that the first pilot project to construct a unified-type facility with 3,000 places is currently underway in the Kaluga Region. This represents a fundamentally new type of institution, where high-tech solutions will be applied to both inmate living conditions and security systems.

The Forum is organized by the Roscongress Foundation with support from the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.

The 13th St. Petersburg International Legal Forum will take place on 19–21 May in St. Petersburg.

View the business programme of SPIEF 2025.