PROBLEMS OF COUNTERACTING CRIMINAL STRUCTURES OPERATING IN PENITENTIARY INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

Criminal structures operating within institutions executing criminal penalties constitute a persistent factor that negatively affects the effectiveness of the execution of punishments. Their activities are associated with the formation of informal hierarchies, the spread of criminal subculture, and the coordination of unlawful behavior both within correctional institutions and beyond them. The article examines the main problems of counteracting these structures within the penal system of the Russian Federation. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of legal mechanisms established in penal legislation, as well as to the role of operational-search activities and prosecutorial supervision. The factors determining the stability of criminal influence are identified, and directions for improving the effectiveness of counteraction are substantiated.