Malyuska is convinced that if a person released on parole commits a new crime, it will cause a much greater public outcry, mainly due to psychological factors.
About this stated Minister of Justice Denys Malyuska.
“If a prisoner who was released on parole to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine later commits a crime, it will cause much more outrage and media noise than if a crime is committed by an ordinary conscript. Regardless of any statistics, even if they are statistics within the limits of people who have not served a sentence. We now have military personnel who return for rotation or are granted leave – they also commit crimes. It does not reach the media. This is also an important issue that should not be overlooked“, he said.
He also explained how prisoners are mobilized in Russia.
“In Russia, the mechanism was not voluntary. At first, they tried to convince them, promising them money. Then it turned into quite serious coercion… Plus, the security system is completely different. We have certain restrictions, but in general, the status is very similar to ordinary military personnel. Participation is voluntary, there is social security. We will definitely not recommend and communicate with the Armed Forces to not release those where we understand there is a high risk of re-offending. Therefore, this is a very selective approach, not a mass one“, the minister remarked.
The commander of the UBpAK “Achilles” battalion of the 92nd OSHBr named after Yuriy Fedorenko, head of the prison of Ivan Sirko, is sure that the mobilization of convicts is actually a good idea.
“At the beginning of a full-scale war, we started our journey with a rifle company, this is territorial defense. My second platoon was 90% staffed by people who were deprived of their liberty in the territory of Ukraine, served their sentence and returned to normal life“, Fedorenko said.
The military officer noted that each of the prisoners could end up behind bars under different circumstances. And the state must define the category of prisoners who do not pose a threat to other military personnel.
