Russian inmates get groceries delivered to jail
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Fish, sausages, pasta, juice, coffee, it’s all on offer at www.peredachki.ru. But this is no ordinary online shop. This e-store has been created to cater specifically to the needs of Russian prison inmates. And for offenders with a more sophisticated palate there’s even caviar.
The shop targets prisoners in the Altay Territory of Russia, and offers over 100 foodstuffs. It adds a touch of luxury for prisoners, most of whom seldom enjoy personal visits from their families in this distant region of Siberia.
Buyers can pay their bills from a bank account or by postal mail. The shop even covers the cost of delivering parcels to the prison.
The heads of the region’s Federal Prison Service have welcomed the initiative and are ready to let other jails in the Altay Territory use it if it proves successful.
This is not the first online shop for convicts in Russia. A similar system is being operated in St. Petersburg’s Kriesty prison.
A wind of change has been sweeping through the Russian prison system, known for its harsh, gulag-type conditions and high level of violence.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev promised to launch a nationwide penitentiary reform after the death of an inmate due to insufficient medical care last year. One of the aims is to relieve the overcrowded prisons by turning to alternative forms of punishment like house arrest.
