Civilian Control in Carceral Space: A Case Study of the Krasnoiarsk Public Oversight Commission Master’s Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Brenden Thomas Wood, B.A. Graduate Program in Slavic and East European Studies The Ohio State University 2019 Thesis Committee: Doctor Jennifer Suchland, Adviser Doctor John Quigley Copyright by Brenden Thomas Wood 2019 Abstract The purpose of my thesis is to discuss the importance of studying the work of the Public Oversight Commission of the Russian Federation in the context of prisoner rights. My thesis focuses on a case study of the Krasnoiarsk Krai Public Oversight Commission as an effective mechanism of developing greater transparency and accountability in carceral space. The Krasnoiarsk Krai Commission demonstrates that a Commission can operate effectively within the societal constraints placed on civil society by the federal government. I particularly focus on the proactive behavior of the Krasnoiarsk Krai Commission and how its members effectively pursue prisoner rights reform. I discuss the importance of the Krasnoiarsk Krai Commission as a positive model for other Public Oversight Commissions, as it demonstrates that a Commission can maintain a high degree of relevance by being proactive rather than reactive. ii Dedication To my wonderful family and adviser. iii Vita June 2012……………………………………….Erskine Academy May 2016……………………………………….B.A. Russian Language and Literature, University of Vermont August 2017 to Present……………………….M.A. Slavic and East European Studies, The Ohio State University Fields of Study Slavic and East European Studies iv Table of Contents Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………... ii Dedication.……………………………………………………………………………………. iii Vita…………………………………………………………………………………………..… iv Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………… 1 Background: The Need to Reform …………………………………………………………... 6 The Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation……………………………………………. 19 The Public Oversight Commissions………………………………………………...……… 33 Case Study: Public Oversight Commission of Krasnoiarsk Krai………………………... 48 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………. 74 References…………………………………………………………………………………….. 81 Appendix A: Laws, Projects, and Initiatives …………………………………………...… 95 Appendix B: Reports…….………………………………………………………………...… 97 v Introduction In Russia today civil society is filtered through the Civic Chamber. The Chamber is a quasi-civic organization that the Kremlin instituted to facilitate greater civilian participation in civil society and the government. Labeled as a puppet organization of the Kremlin, the Chamber has been criticized for its complicity with the tightening of control on civil society. However, the Chamber demonstrates an effective approach to organizations dedicated to prison reform and has effectively facilitated the work of the Public Oversight Commissions. The Public Oversight Commissions are organizations that the Civic Chamber supervises. A federal law in 2008 created the Commissions in order to increase civilian access to the penitentiary system. These Commissions are composed of volunteer members across the federal subjects dedicated to touring penal institutions and organizing events and activities with inmates, penitentiary personnel, and the constituents of each respective federal subject. The Commission of Krasnoiarsk Krai in particular is a model for an effective Commission, functioning to an extent as an arm of the Civic Chamber while maintaining a high level of autonomy. Krasnoiarsk Krai’s Commission is a positive, active example that differs from the passive tendencies of other Public Oversight Commissions. Due to its proactive engagement with the regional penal authorities and civic groups, the Krai’s Commission has shown that it is possible to actively pursue greater access to penal institutions, even when faced with uncooperative penal authorities spread across a vast network of correctional institutions. I will examine the reasons for this success, which are connected 1 particularly to the proactive nature of the Commission, and other factors inherent to the geographic space of Krasnoiarsk Krai. Ultimately, the Commission gains a sense of relevancy in the Krai from its proactive behavior, as its impact is visible and tangible. These factors are vital to the success of the Commission in developing greater transparency in the penal institutions of Krasnoiarsk Krai. The Krasnoiarsk Krai Commission is a model for a successful penal rights organization operating in a vast and complex social and political environment. The Krasnoiarsk Krai Commission ultimately is a positive example for other Public Oversight Commissions across the Russian Federation. It is important to study the Kransoiarsk Krai Commission because it shows a high level of success engaging with the local and national authorities, and has also tapped into international support mechanisms like the European Court of Human Rights. Most important to its success has been the consistent, proactive efforts of the Commission members in their activities, which have influenced other penal, government, and civic organizations in Krasnoiarsk Krai to publicize their engagement with the Commission. The Commission sets itself apart because it is itself an accessible and helpful institution. Not only does it publish about its work, but the Commission is responsive to inquiries and proposals from local, national, and international organizations and individuals. It demonstrates that the Commission members hold themselves accountable for their efforts to increase transparency and reciprocity between civil society and the penal authorities. 2 Civic organizations lack the institutional agency that is characteristic in non- authoritarian societies. However, I will discuss the Krasnoiarsk Krai Commission’s effective function within the societal constraints that it faces. Accountability is essential to creating greater transparency in carceral space and is the most critical issue facing the Commission. However, it is a difficult issue in Russia, and is no less ambiguous when addressing carceral space. Ideally, the Commission members would be able to hold the penal authorities responsible for their actions and force prompt, positive responses. However, this is not the case, due in large part to institutional practices that seem to be trapped in carceral space (Pallot, 2015). I therefore consider the work of the Krasnoiarsk Krai Commission in regard to accountability with a level of nuance, where I view their efforts to uncover and publish violations the penal authorities commit as part of a positive effort to make these issues visible. It is unclear how exactly the authorities respond internally, so I consider the Commission members’ efforts positively within the constraints that the federal government imposes. Several scholars, such as Laura Piacentini, Elena Katz, and Judith Pallot, have argued that geography creates an isolating environment, which consequently causes penal spaces to develop in a variety of different, often negative, ways (Katz and Piacentini, 2017; Pallot, 2015). Both issues involve geography and its effects on transparency. Geographic size and distance affect visibility into carceral space, as they influence the effectiveness of each Oversight Commission, and thus each Commission’s ability to work with the regional correctional authorities. I must establish that geography has both a positive and negative impact on the Commissions, as well as on all actors 3 across the different federal subjects. Negatively, the geographic size of Russia and many of its subjects is often a major, logistical obstacle because it makes the transport of people and resources difficult due to distance and the subsequent isolation of many regions and institutions. In the context of carceral reform and the Commissions, this isolation can have a further negative effect, because it isolates penal institutions into “penal fiefdoms,” where these institutions are closed and inaccessible (Pallot, 2015). However, this isolation also has a positive impact because it allows other regional actors, such as the Public Oversight Commissions, to develop without interference from the federal government. For my thesis, I consider how geographic distance from Moscow and the size of Krasnoiarsk Krai has isolated the Krai and the social and political actors within it, thus allowing them to develop in a positive way. The Krasnoiarsk Krai Commission is situated in a favorable geographic space for activism, a space which developed in the penal context as a result of its size, distance from Moscow, and the extensive penal system and legacy inherited from the Soviet Union. The Commission has enjoyed favorable winds, as the local civil society and government are inclined to support the Commission, and are supportive of efforts to clean up the extensive penal system and its associated legacy. As part of the national Public Oversight Commission initiative, the Oversight Commissions provide the Civic Chamber with feedback on the conditions across a geographically diverse array of federal subjects. The Chamber can then discuss and analyze this feedback in its own forum. The Krasnoiarsk Krai Public Oversight Commission is one of the few to consistently publicize 4 its efforts to monitor activities in the penitentiary system, making it a prime example for further study. My paper is broken into four primary sections. The first is an introduction