Technical and Forensic Support for the Prevention of Penitentiary Crimes

Crimes committed by convicts serving criminal punishments present an urgent social problem. Although inmates are isolated and under constant control, the number of penitentiary crimes is growing. The identification of the whole complex of circumstances contributing to penitentiary crimes and their elimination are a guarantee of successful work on preventing crimes of this type. The potential of modern achievements in science and technology should be actively used in preventive work. Many legal scholars stress that the possibilities of using technical means, techniques and methods in the process of preventing crime (including penitentiary crime) are undervalued. Employees of preliminary investigation bodies and penitentiary institutions, in their turn, do not give value to the technical-forensic support (and sometime do not simply understand its possibilities) of preventing penitentiary crime. At the same time, their high priority and value in the organization of preventive work is beyond doubt. The article describes the theoretical basis of using technical-forensic means, offers their classification, shows key spheres of their use. The author stresses the preventive potential of special equipment available in each correctional institution (technical means of security and supervision). The article presents and offers a detailed classification of technical-forensic means, techniques and methods of preventing penitentiary crimes.