Recently, the Ombudsman of Kyrgyzstan, Jamilya Dzhamanbaeva, visited the women's correctional colony in the village of Stepnoy to assess the conditions in which the inmates are held.
During her visit, she inspected all the buildings of the institution, including the children's home, medical unit, kitchen, and dormitory, and held conversations with the inmates, among whom were minors and foreign citizens.
Currently, the colony houses 292 women aged from 17 to 78 years. Of these, 248 are in the general regime, 22 are in strict conditions, and 34 are in a strict regime.
During a personal reception, about 40 women were able to address the ombudsman and express their requests:
- some of them requested assistance with conditional early release;
- others reported difficulties in obtaining probation;
- complained about unjustified court decisions and incorrect calculation of terms in the pre-trial detention center, where one day is counted as two;
- two inmates asked for help in obtaining passports, as they only have Soviet documents;
- in terms of hygiene products, they mainly receive only household soap, while other items are provided irregularly;
- the women also expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of medications, especially for elderly inmates.
On the premises of the institution, there is a sewing workshop and a bakery where women are employed. Additionally, they work in the kitchen, hair salon, and store. During conversations, the inmates did not express dissatisfaction with working conditions and noted that their wages had recently been increased.
According to the data from the Ombudsman Institute, five mothers with children under three years old live in the children's home. The youngest among them is only two weeks old. The mothers reported that they have been provided with everything necessary.
In the medical unit, seven women are undergoing treatment, including a 69-year-old inmate diagnosed with stage three cancer, who requested assistance with release due to health reasons.
There are also 18 foreign citizens from Kazakhstan, India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and other countries in the colony. Some of them have requested extradition to their homeland.
