Ministry of home affairs of the Republic of Belarus

THE DEPARTMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS

    OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF  GOMEL PROVINCE

Dated 16.09.99 #20/38

Attn: Tatyana Prot’ko, the chairperson  Of Belarusian Helsinki Committee

      Dear Ms. Prot’ko,

For the moment at the prisons of Gomel province the situation with consumer goods and equipment is extremely hard  because of the lack of state financing.

      There are severe problems at the prison for females #4 and custody #3, situated in Gomel. These establishments are designed to give room for 1350 and 1100 people, but in fact 2800 and 2000 citizens are kept there.

     Besides, at the prison #4 for females there is the Children’s shelter where 60 children under 3 year old, whose mothers serve their sentence, are kept.

     Since 1993 the new building of the custody#3 has being built, which has to solve the problem of overcrowd. The sum of 1180 000 roubles (the prices of year 1991) and the equipment for the canteen and the laundry is necessary to finish the building.

     In Vetka region Gomel province there is the prison – settlement #21 for females, which receives prisoners both from prison #4 and after the court. These women possess only the clothes they wear. Broken social links do not allow them to receive any kind of help from their relatives.  

     For the moment the former military settlement “Gomel-30” (in the village of Zarech’ye Rechitsa region Gomel province) is being rearranged into the prison for females to solve the problems of overcrowd in the only prison #4 for females in Gomel. It is very problematic to get the equipment for the laundry, beds, linen, kitchen utensils and table wear, water-heating equipment, ambulance bus, etc. 

     Taking into account all the above mentioned, I ask you to assist in sponsoring the prison establishments of Gomel province with necessary equipment and consumer goods.

     The list of the necessary equipment and consumer goods is enclosed.

The Head of Gomel department

of prisons                                                                             S. T. Bychkov

Contact person at Gomel department of prisons           Mr. Zaitsev, tel. +375-0232-555362 

Contact person at the prison #4 for females in Gomel  Ms. Margarita Zinkevich

                                                                                       Tel. +375-0232-729821, -729694

                                                                                        Fax. +375-0232-730058   

1. Aluminum plates 500

2. Aluminum tureens 500

3. Cups 500

4. Spoons 500

5. Mess-dishes for soup 15

6. Mess-second dishes 15

7. Aluminum kettles 15

8. Aluminum pots (9-10 liter) - 10

9. Pots (30 – 40 liter) – 6

10. Pots (50 – 60 liter) – 6

11. Aluminum scoops 4

12. Knives for vegetables – 20

13. Knives for bread – 4

14. Baking trays –14

15. Spring balance (2 kg) 3

16. Weighing machine (10 kg) 3

17. Weighing machine (500 kg) 3

18. Mattress 400

19. Bed-clothes 1600

20. Pillow-clothes 800

21. Blankets 500

22. Towels 1600

23. Pillows 400

24. Washing machine 2

25.  Ironing machine 1

26. Disinfectant camera for linen 1

27. 2-tiered beds - 200

28. Bed-side tables 400

29. Stools 400

 The list of the necessary equipment and consumer goods for prison  #4 for females

1.  Clothes for females

2. Foot-gear for females (summer and winter wear)

3. TV-sets for the detachments - 25

4. Film projector – 1

5. Theatre curtain for the club – 1

6. Microphones, amplifier

7. Sewing equipment

8. Steam irons

9. Washing machines

10. Kitchen equipment

11. Furniture for the canteen

12. Linen

13. Washing powder and liquid

14. Lamps for the cells

 For the Children’s shelter

1. Chairs for the club – 450

2. Children’s beds – 40

3. Mashing machines – 2

4. Ironing equipment

5. Disinfectant cameras – 5

6. Bactericidal lamps

7. Food for children: fruit and vegetable puree, etc

8. Electric heaters – 7

9. Single use syringes

10. Artificial fur-trees – 3

11. Decorations for the fur-trees

12. Foot-gear (for winter) for children under 3 year old

13. Ambulance bus

  The list of the necessary equipment and consumer goods

for prison - settlement #21 for females 

1. Clothe and foot-gear for females (for summer and winter) – 300 pairs