MOSCOW. May 5 (Interfax) - The Russian Justice Ministry is predicting a decrease in the number of prisoners held in preliminary detention facilities following the introduction of the new Criminal- Procedural Code from July 1, which gives powers to issue warrants to arrest to courts, Deputy Justice Minister Yuri Kalinin has told Interfax.
He said 962,000 people are currently being held in prisons, which is almost 100,000 less than last year.
The number of prisoners held in preliminary detention facilities went down by 30,000 last year, and by another 10,000 in 2002, despite the fact that the number of criminal cases continues to increase.
Since the State Duma approved amendments to criminal laws, proposed by the Justice Ministry, investigational agencies have limited the practice of putting individuals into custody. Also, the duration of the investigation and court procedures has been reduced, and courts have become less bureaucratic, Kalinin said.
He said up to 60% of prisoners of preliminary detention facilities are ultimately not sentenced to imprisonment, or are freed on rehabilitating grounds. This means that people were arrested without sufficient reasons, Kalinin said.