Kremlin Revives Gulag Priorities—Russia to Invest 140× More in Jails Than in Students

In 2025, the Russian government will spend roughly $31 million on educational loans for students, a figure 140 times smaller than the funds allocated for prison construction, according to the Moscow Times on August 25.

The decree, signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, aims to support about 214,000 students, allowing them to take loans at a 3% annual interest rate.

In comparison, the government plans to invest approximately $4.5 billion in the federal program “Development of the Penal System.” This includes building 11 new pre-trial detention centers (SIZOs) for 11,230 inmates and 14 controlled-access units for 3,420 more.

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War in Ukraine

Russia Revives Gulag as Its Secret Police Seize Full Control of Prisons

Jul 24, 2025 14:45

One of the new SIZOs will be located in temporarily occupied Crimea, bringing the total number of detention centers in Russia to 210. The plan also includes the reconstruction of four controlled-access units and the construction or renovation of 118 auxiliary facilities within SIZOs.

Authorities cite overcrowding as the main reason for expanding detention capacity. However, as of January 1, 2025, SIZOs held 91,200 inmates, compared with 103,400 a year earlier, according to official documents.

Previously, it was reported that Russia has established a widespread network of prisons and pretrial detention centers where captured Ukrainians are systematically tortured.

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