Ukraine's new law: From cells to the frontline, a controversial strategy

Ukraine wants to send prisoners to the front line. The local parliament has passed a law enabling the release of certain categories of prisoners so they can serve in the military on a contractual basis during mobilization and wartime, affecting up to 20,000 individuals.

Ukrainian Justice Minister Denys Maluska clarified that the potential number of detainees from penal institutions who could be mobilized for the conflict with Russia is between 10,000 and 20,000. Our country faces a significant issue with prison overcrowding.

It primarily involves pre-trial detention centres, which are already beyond capacity, with the situation being more critical in major cities. Thus, I strongly support the mobilization of convicts to avoid breaching standards concerning the number of inmates per specified area in detention facilities, the minister elaborated during an interview with the Ukrainian BBC.

The Supreme Council, Ukraine's parliament, endorsed a law on Wednesday permitting the release of certain prisoner groups so they can engage in military service under contract during mobilization and wartime.

According to Ukrainska Pravda, the exemption from serving a sentence to join the armed forces won't be available to those convicted of premeditated murder, paedophilia, corruption, and crimes against state security. This exemption also excludes individuals who held high state offices, such as ministers and deputies, along with those convicted of producing, distributing, or possessing drugs.

Maluska also mentioned his belief that prisoners serving time for the murder "of, say, two or more people" could be considered for front-line service.

- And why does one go to war if not to kill? This is particularly relevant for (...) individuals sentenced to life imprisonment. Often, these are people who committed crimes at a young age, around 18-19 years, when the brain isn’t fully developed and psychology is fragile. After decades in prison, the psychological profile of such an individual bears no resemblance to that of the person who murdered 18-19. This is a point all psychologists will acknowledge - the head of the Ukrainian Justice Department contended.

Source: PAP/WP