Abstract: This article is dedicated to the questions of coordination of the activity of operational units aimed at prevention of complications of operational situation in correctional facilities. The author describes the operational situation in correctional facilities as the combination of interconnected objective factors (conditions) of the functional environment of correctional facilities, which are considered during planning, organization and implementation of crime prevention measures. In the context of ensuring security in the correctional facilities, the author characterizes the concept of “operational situation”, leaning on opinions of researchers on this subject to give a fuller definition to this concept. The article employs works of the Russian legal experts. Normative legal framework that regulates the indicated sphere is provided. The author underlines the need for further improvement of informational and analytical activity on the evaluation of operational situation in penitentiaries; determines the factors that negatively affect the operational situation in penitentiaries. Analysis is conducted on the data received from sociological survey of the correctional officers. It is stated that the presence of valid information that would characterize the state of operational situation in a correctional facility aids in achieving the goals of the penal process.