Kuranda, Denys (2024). HISTORICAL AND LEGAL TRENDS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF "BACKGROUND PHENOMENA" IN THE SPHERE OF EXECUTION OF CRIMINAL PUNISHMENTS IN UKRAINE. Social and Human Sciences. Polish-Ukrainian scientific journal (https://issn2391-4165.webnode.com.ua/), 03 (43)

 
HISTORICAL AND LEGAL TRENDS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF "BACKGROUND PHENOMENA" IN THE SPHERE OF EXECUTION OF CRIMINAL PUNISHMENTS IN UKRAINE

Kuranda, Denys, Scientific Research Institute of Public Law (Ukraine, Kyiv), PhD student, igor.kopotun@gmail.com;

SUMMARY
This scientific article analyzes historical and legal sources related to the development of "background phenomena" in the criminal enforcement activity of Ukraine during 1991-2024, determines their influence on the determinant complex of causes and conditions that contribute to the commission of criminal offenses in the process of execution - serving sentences in the form of imprisonment for a certain period, and also states in this regard that without a comprehensive and constant response of the relevant crime prevention subjects to the aforementioned socially harmful phenomena, it is quite difficult to effectively implement the tasks defined in the criminal enforcement legislation and achieve its goal (Article 1 of the Criminal Enforcement Code (CEC)).
In particular, it was established that during the period studied in this work, before the adoption of the new Code of Criminal Procedure in 2003, this issue was regulated by departmental regulatory legal acts of the central executive body that implements state policy in the field of execution of criminal sentences and probation of Ukraine (Part 1, Article 11 of the above-mentioned Code). And this, in turn, led to the development of negative trends related to the influence of "background phenomena" on penitentiary crime, since the secrecy (non-publicity) of the indicated legal sources did not allow to actively involve other, except for specially criminological, subjects of crime prevention in preventive activities and, at the same time, the effectiveness of their influence on the process of neutralization, blocking, elimination, etc. of determinants that contribute to the development of "background phenomena" in the field of execution of criminal sentences and probation of Ukraine during the long historical period of its functioning (1991-2024).
The influence of the above-mentioned socially harmful phenomena on the formation and implementation of individual criminal behavior of convicts in places of deprivation of liberty (closed-type penal institutions and pre-trial detention centers (SIZO)) is proven, and the need to intensify scientific research on the above-mentioned issues in the context of current reforms in the field of penal enforcement is substantiated.
Key words:: trend; development; formation; implementation; "background phenomena"; sphere of execution of criminal sentences and probation; prevention of criminal offenses; historical and legal method.
 
 
ІСТОРИКО-ПРАВОВІ ТЕНДЕНЦІЇ РОЗВИТКУ «ФОНОВИХ ЯВИЩ» У СФЕРІ ВИКОНАННЯ КРИМІНАЛЬНИХ ПОКАРАНЬ В УКРАЇНІ
 
Куранда, Денис, НДІ публічного права (Україна, Київ), аспірант, igor.kopotun@gmail.com
 
АНОТАЦІЯ
У науковій статті проаналізовано історико-правові джерела, пов’язані з розвитком «фонових явищ» у кримінально-виконавчій діяльності України протягом 1991-2024 рр., визначено їх вплив на детермінантний комплекс причин та умов, що сприяють вчиненню кримінальних правопорушень у процесі виконання – відбування покарання у вигляді позбавлення волі на певний строк, а також зазначено, що без комплексного та постійного реагування відповідної профілактики злочинності в умовах зазначених суспільно шкідливих явищ досить важко ефективно реалізувати визначені кримінально-виконавчим законодавством завдання та досягти його мети (ст. 1 Кримінально-виконавчого кодексу (КВК)).
Зокрема, встановлено, що в досліджуваний у роботі період до прийняття нового Кримінально-процесуального кодексу у 2003 році це питання регулювалося відомчими нормативно-правовими актами центрального органу виконавчої влади, що реалізує державну політику у сфері виконання кримінальних покарань та пробації України (ч. 1 ст. 11 згаданого Кодексу). А це, в свою чергу, призвело до розвитку негативних тенденцій, пов’язаних із впливом «фонових явищ» на пенітенціарну злочинність, оскільки закритість (негласність) зазначених правових джерел не дозволяла активно залучати до профілактичної діяльності інших, окрім спеціально кримінологічних, суб’єктів протидії злочинності та, водночас, ефективності їх впливу на процес нейтралізації, блокування, усунення тощо детермінант, що сприяють розвитку «фонових явищ» у сфері виконання кримінальних покарань та пробації України протягом тривалого історичного періоду її функціонування (1991-2024 рр.).
Доведено вплив зазначених суспільно шкідливих явищ на формування та реалізацію індивідуальної злочинної поведінки засуджених у місцях позбавлення волі (УТЗ закритого типу та слідчих ізоляторах (СІЗО)), а також обґрунтовано необхідність активізації наукових досліджень із зазначених питань у контексті сучасних реформ у сфері виконання покарань.
Ключові слова: тренд; розвиток; формування; впровадження; «фонові явища»; сфера виконання кримінальних покарань та пробації; попередження кримінальних правопорушень; історико-правовий метод.
 
Statement of the problem. The results of the study of criminal enforcement practice [1] and scientific literature [2, p. 103-104] shows that in the structure of determinants that contribute to the commission of criminal offenses, including in the sphere of execution of criminal punishments and probation of Ukraine, the so-called "background phenomena" occupy a prominent place due to their negative influence on the formation and implementation of illegal behavior subjects of crimes [3, p. 520-523].
 
In view of this and using, first of all, the historical-legal method of researching the mentioned socially harmful phenomena, it is quite important to determine how the "background phenomena" developed during the period of independence of the functioning of the criminal-executive system of Ukraine (1991-2024) and how the relevant subjects of preventive activity reacted to them.
 
The intensification of scientific research on the above-mentioned issues is due to the need for a more effective response to the deterministic complex of causes and conditions that contribute to penitentiary and recidivism in Ukraine in the field of criminal punishment and probation, which are carried out within the framework of today's state reforms in this field of social relations (in particular, in the Concept (2017) [4] and in the Strategy (2022) of reforming the penitentiary system of Ukraine [5]).
 
Taking into account the specified circumstances, the purpose of this scientific article is to justify, based on the results of a historical and legal analysis, the need to increase the effectiveness of preventive activities aimed at neutralizing, blocking, eliminating, etc., the influence of "background phenomena" on the formation and implementation of a deterministic complex of causes and conditions that contribute to penitentiary and recidivism crime
 
Outline of the main provisions. The results of the application of the historical-legal method of learning the content of the subject of this article, as well as the method of document analysis in the course of this research [6, p. 44-51] made it possible to determine the following negative trends, that were formed in the period 1991-2024. and affect the effectiveness of preventive activities in the field of enforcement - serving criminal sentences and probation in Ukraine and related to the influence of "background phenomena" on criminologically significant indicators of penitentiary crime, namely:

1. 1991-1998, when bodies and institutions for the execution of punishments functioned as part of the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
During this period, the crime rate per 1,000 of convicts was 3.9 cases [7, p. 1], and recidivism – 24.6% in the overall structure of all registered socially dangerous and criminal acts [8, p. 67].

Interesting in the sense of the subject of this research is the following fact: the attempts of the central body of executive power, which implements state policy in the field of execution of punishments (and, these functions were performed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine until 1998, when in April of the same year the State Department of Ukraine for Execution punishments (DSU PVP) [9]), to reduce the level of influence of "background phenomena" (narcotic substances, alcoholic beverages, money and valuables, etc.) on the formation of illegal behavior of those sentenced to deprivation of liberty led to a number of extraordinary events in correctional colonies, among which the following should be singled out:
a) group (massive and numerous in number) refusal of convicts to work and eat (in 13 prisons in Ukraine as a whole);
b) the amount of narcotic drugs seized from these persons (as elements of "background phenomena") increased 6.9 times (from 436.9 grams in 1990 to 2 kg 964 g in 1991); alcoholic beverages – 3.4 times (from 117.3 to 398.9 liters, respectively); money - by 64.2% [7, p. 2];
c) in correctional facilities, there is crime per 1,000. of convicted persons increased by 58.8% (from 17 to 27 crimes compared to 1990-1991), etc. [7, p. 2].
 
In this sense, the year 1998 (the last period of stay of the criminal-executive system as a part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine [9]) can be called indicative in this sense, during which such "role" of the mentioned socially harmful phenomena in pre-trial detention centers and correctional colonies was recorded as:
1) the level of crime in these UVPs per 1,000 persons accounted for 2.6 cases;
2) 1139.7 liters of alcoholic beverages were seized in the protected areas of the specified institutions; 58 thousand 853 hryvnias; 17 thousand 869 USD; 12 kg 031 g of narcotic substances; t. others;
3) from 1991 to 1998. in a number of UVPs, wooden security fences were not replaced with concrete ones, and other engineering and technical means of protection and supervision (ITZO) required immediate repair and replacement;
4) the staff of only the supervision and security services of the Ukrainian Military Police committed 1,285 violations of official discipline, including 217 cases of unauthorized contacts with convicts and 16 cases related to the initiation of criminal cases;
5) in the reporting period, 10 persons from among the personnel of the colonies were the objects of physical attack by convicts, 4 of whom received physical injuries of varying degrees of severity [11, p. 20-24];
6) in 1998, the publication in open sources of information bulletins on issues of operational and service activity of bodies and UVP ended [11].
Thus, in the first period of the functioning of the bodies and UVP in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (1991-1998), the main negative trends, which were associated with the influence of "background phenomena" on penitentiary crime, were reflected and reproduced in quantitative and qualitative criminological significant indicators.
 
2. 1999-2010, when, after the complete withdrawal of the bodies and UVP from the subordination of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in 1999 [12], in 2010 the DDUPVP actually lost its function as the central body of the executive power that implements the state policy in the sphere of execution of punishments of Ukraine [13].
And, despite the fact that in 2003 the new KVK and the Law of Ukraine "On the State Criminal Enforcement Service of Ukraine" and a number of state programs on the reform of bodies and the Criminal Enforcement Service [14] were adopted, preventive activities on the issues of liquidation, neutralization, blocking etc., the determinant of crime, related to the influence of "background phenomena" on it, did not decrease.
 
As established in the course of this research, during the indicated historical period, there were no significant changes related to the reduction of the influence on the formation and implementation of illegal behavior in the process of execution - the serving of sentences by those sentenced to deprivation of liberty.
The following results of determination of "background phenomena" of penitentiary crime took place:
a)  the level of this type of crime per 1,000 persons accounted for 2.75 cases (in 1998 (the beginning of the management of bodies and UVP by the DDUPVP) – 2.6 cases [11]);
b)   in the structure of penitentiary crime, as in previous years, more than 33% were crimes related to the illegal circulation of narcotic drugs, and almost 40% were crimes related to malicious disobedience of the administration of the Penitentiary (Article 391 of the Criminal Code); others [15, p. 3-7].
 
Therefore, even in the II period, "background phenomena" in the field of execution of punishments in Ukraine continued to develop and influence the criminologically significant indicators of penitentiary crime (state, level, structure, dynamics, etc.) [16, p. 65-78].
 
3. 2011-2012, when a kind of "dual power" was created in the field of execution of punishments of Ukraine regarding the activities of executive authorities implementing state policy in the specified field of social relations, namely, on the one hand, according to the relevant Regulation, this was carried out by the State Penitentiary service (DPtS) of Ukraine [17], and on the other hand, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine [13], which, of course, could not but affect the effectiveness of preventing and counteracting the influence of "background phenomena" on penitentiary crime, as a result of which the main criminologically significant indicators on the specified issues significantly worsened [18 , p. 5-9].
 
In 2012, at the legislative level, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine became the central body of executive power in the specified field of public activity [19], although in parallel (on the basis of Regulation [17]) these powers were also exercised by the State Security Service of Ukraine, which also reduced the effectiveness of preventive activities aimed at neutralization of the negative impact of "background phenomena" on penitentiary crime [18].
 
4. 2013-2016 - the period of finalization of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine as the central body of the executive power implementing state policy in the field of criminal punishments and probation [20]. At the same time, it should be noted that this "management" modification changed almost nothing, since in 2016 the influence of "background phenomena" in the sphere of execution of criminal punishments and probation in Ukraine and on the formation of penitentiary crime was as follows:
a) the level of criminality of convicts per 1,000 persons accounted for 4.9 cases (compared to 3.9 in 1991 and 2.75 in 2010);
b) almost 10,000 were seized in the protected areas of the UVP. UAH.; 55 liters of alcoholic beverages; 164 grams of narcotics;
c) in more than 10% of pre-trial detention centers and UVP, the actual management was not carried out by the administration of these institutions, but by criminal authorities (Part 4 of Article 255 of the Criminal Code);
d) the number of criminal offenses committed by the staff of the DKVS of Ukraine exceeded more than 100 cases (19 in 1991; 54 in 2010 [21]);
e) other criminologically significant indicators.
Thus, it should be stated that the influence of "background phenomena" on penitentiary crime did not decrease in the given studied period.
 
5. 2017 - present time.
This period is characterized by active reforms related to the process of execution of punishments, which should include:
a) the liquidation of the territorial management bodies of the DPTS of Ukraine and the formation in connection with this of the territorial bodies of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine [22], as well as the cancellation of the relevant Regulation on the DPTS of Ukraine [23];
b) Concept of reforming this system in 2017 [4];
c) Strategy for reforming the penitentiary system of Ukraine [5]; others
At the same time, it is worth noting that in the course of special scientific searches, the subject of which was penitentiary crime [24] and criminal offenses committed by the staff of the State Security Service of Ukraine [25] in the process of execution - serving sentences, it was established that the criminologically significant indicators of negative influence remained practically unchanged on "background phenomena" in the field of execution of criminal punishments and probation.
Conclusion. Thus, the conducted analysis and the results of periodization related to the determination of the "background phenomena" of the commission of criminal offenses in the field of criminal enforcement activity, on the one hand, indicate an extremely low level of preventive activity, which refers to their influence on the formation and implementation of criminal behavior of the relevant subjects, and on the other hand, determines the need to intensify complex efforts at all levels, including scientific ones, aimed at neutralizing, blocking, eliminating, etc., the deterministic complex of causes and conditions for the specified problem.

 
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