Problems of professional training of employees of the Russian penal system in the context of digital transformation

Guseyan Gulya Ovikovna ORCID: 0009-0003-6806-0237 Student, Department of Criminal Procedure and Criminalistics, Southwestern State University 307207, Russia, Kursk region, village Roykovo, Roykovo, 19a gulya.guseyan22@mail.ru Other publications by this author     Bondareva Anastasiya Vladimirovna ORCID: 0009-0000-8699-8841 Student, Department of Criminal Procedure and Criminalistics, Southwestern State University 54 Ostrovsky str., Korenevo, Kursk region, 307410, Russia nastya386@gmail.com Himedenova Dina Nikolaevna ORCID: 0000-0002-1270-7447 PhD in Law Lecturer, Department of Criminal Law, Southwestern State University 374 Achkasov str., Khalino, Kursk region, 305545, Russia dina.0206@mail.ru

Kuharev Yurii Stanislavovich ORCID: 0000-0001-9609-4424 Senior Lecturer, Department of Theory and History of State and Law, Southwestern State University 305005, Russia, Kursk region, Kursk, Vyacheslav Klykov, 70, sq. 230 yurij.kuharev@yandex.ru

Introduction. Professional training of employees of the penal enforcement system (hereinafter referred to as the penal correction system) of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as the Russian Federation) plays an important role in ensuring public order and protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens. In his annual message to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation in 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out the need to increase the requirements for the preservation of life and dignity when performing direct duties by employees of the Penitentiary Service. Analyzing this thesis of the President of our country, it can be noted that improving the professional training of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation is one of the priorities currently being implemented by the state ^{[1, p.270]}.

The importance of the legal status of prison officers is actualized by their special role in the functioning of the penitentiary system as a whole: they ensure legality and order in places of serving sentences, carry out a number of educational work with convicts, ensure their employment, as well as their education. These duties of employees of the Criminal Justice System of the Russian Federation act as structural components of the process of correction of convicts – the main purpose of the application of criminal penalties in the Russian Federation, and the work carried out by employees leads to the upbringing, re-socialization of convicts, and after release from prison - to prevent the appearance of recedivism and the formation of a favorable future for convicts.

The priority role of high-quality performance of functions by employees of the penitentiary system is also due to their close connection with the number of escapes committed in such institutions. According to statistics, escapes committed in places of deprivation of liberty are the second most numerous crimes in the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation^[1]. In order to reduce crimes committed in places of deprivation of liberty, employees of the Criminal Justice System of the Russian Federation organize a set of measures aimed at preventing and preventing such acts. For example, in the case of an escape, an analysis of the situation will be carried out, including the identification of the reasons for the escape, as well as the conditions that made it possible to commit the specified offense ^{[2, p.28]}.

In addition to the presence of "standard" criminal acts in places of detention, such a phenomenon as "penitentiary cybercrime" has recently become popular. In his work, A.P.Nekrasov writes that currently 90% of frauds under the scheme "your relative is in trouble" are committed precisely within the walls of correctional institutions ^{[3, p.154]}. In order to prevent this penitentiary crime, effectively perform all their duties, master methods of working with convicts, gain communication skills with such social groups, as well as directly resolve conflict situations that arise in the course of performing the professional activities of an employee of the penitentiary service, the latter undergo certain professional training.

At the same time, the current level of training of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation does not correspond to the existing conditions in which the community is developing. In the modern world, where the crime rate is still high, and new types of crimes are constantly supplementing the current legislation, it is especially important to improve the training of employees of the penal enforcement system, taking into account the current criminological situation. Close attention to the stated problem is also due to the fact that insufficient professional training of employees of the Criminal Justice System of the Russian Federation leads to a number of negative consequences for the system of penal enforcement agencies as a whole. Such consequences include abuse of authority by the employees of the criminal justice system, a decrease in the quality of the work of the penitentiary system, including a decrease in the level of trust of citizens in the penal enforcement system. In this regard, it is necessary to constantly improve the system of training of police officers, updating training programs, introducing new technologies and techniques that correspond to the existing crime rate, providing access to up-to-date information and modern equipment.

The main part. Currently, the professional training of employees of the UIS is carried out by academies, institutes subordinate to the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation, as well as civil universities that provide training in the field of Law and the specialty "Law Enforcement". The professional training of employees of the penal enforcement system consists of a number of elements ^{[4, p.155]}. Its fundamental part is theoretical training, which consists in obtaining knowledge by future employees of the Criminal Justice System about the regulatory framework that directly regulates the activities of the penal enforcement system. Another component of theoretical training is the study of complex legal branches, principles and methods of working with convicts, psychology of criminals, etc.  The study of the necessary theoretical knowledge is realized through readings by the teaching staff of institutions preparing future employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, lectures with the necessary material, as well as seminars, where cadets and students consolidate the knowledge gained by listening to lectures and working independently with the studied material, instill skills of independent thinking, oral presentation on theoretical issues.The study of theoretical knowledge by future employees makes it possible to form the necessary basis for the implementation of professional activities, and mastering the necessary regulatory framework leads to the fact that in the future the employee will be able to successfully cope with the fulfillment of the main professional duties that will be assigned to him ^{[5, p.185]}.

The next element of the professional training of UIS employees is practical training - a type of educational activity, the main purpose of which is the formation, consolidation, as well as the development of professional skills and practical experience. ^{[6, p.219]}.A number of opportunities are being created to organize practical classes for future employees. For example, on the basis of the Pskov branch of the University of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, there is a criminal enforcement inspectorate, where cadets practice starting from the second year of study. Practical training after studying the theoretical block allows you to consolidate existing knowledge, acquire professional competencies, gain practical skills in working with convicts and strengthen interest in the chosen specialty ^{[5, p.184]}.

Also, training in communication skills of psychological training of future employees (communicative competence) can be attributed to the elements of professional training of future employees of the criminal justice system, in the process of mastering which the latter learn effective methods of communication with convicts, colleagues and members of the public ^{[7, p.184]}. The urgent need for the communicative competence of future employees of the penitentiary system is due to the fact that in the process of fulfilling their duties, they constantly have to interact with convicts who are people with unstable mentality, who are in a state of deep stress.

This aspect is also enshrined in the Concept of the development of the penal enforcement system of the Russian Federation until 2030, which contains a number of tasks aimed at improving the effectiveness of psychological support for prison staff: training employees who possess the latest psychological techniques and technologies to influence the behavior of convicts in isolation from society; development and implementation of new psychological work programs, as well as the development of medical and psychological rehabilitation of the convicted person.

Thus, the professional training of employees of the penal enforcement system is of great importance for ensuring the effectiveness and humanity of the penal enforcement system. It allows employees to perform their duties at a high level, protect the rights and interests of convicts and contribute to their further re-socialization.

However, in the context of the continuous development of modern society, as well as the widespread introduction of digital technologies, the Russian penal enforcement system has faced a number of problems related to the professional training of its employees, and therefore the above elements of professional training in their original form are becoming insufficient.The rapid development of the sphere of innovative digital technologies, the active use of advanced innovations in the activities of law enforcement agencies give rise to the need for their active introduction into the penal enforcement system.At the same time, there is an acute problem in the country associated with an insufficient level of proficiency in digital technologies, computer skills, and automated systems used by the modern criminal code of the Russian Federation.The need of the penitentiary system for personnel with the described skills is due to the digital transformation of the system, as well as the goals of the above-mentioned Concept of the development of the Criminal Justice System of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2030. The indication of points on the digitalization of the UIS in departmental programs requires the organization of an appropriate level of training from the employees of the UIS.

Against the background of widespread computerization and informatization, the possession of digital technologies is a key aspect in the professional training of employees of the system. Currently, this requirement is a frequent condition for hiring employees of departments, and in the last 5 years, this skill has begun to be fixed in a number of documents regulating the recruitment of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. For example, in paragraphs "c" and "d" of the qualification requirements for service experience in the penal enforcement system of the Russian Federation or work experience in the specialty, education, professional knowledge and skills of an employee necessary to fill positions in the penal enforcement system of the Russian Federation, it is indicated that one of the requirements for persons applying for filling the position of "head" or "chief", it is necessary to know the forms and methods of work with the use of computer technology; skills in using computer equipment.

It is worth noting that the functioning of the work of the UIS is also complicated by the inclusion of new information systems in the work of the department, for example, the information system of personalized accounting and personnel records management in institutions and bodies of the penal enforcement system of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as IS PKD), the state information system "Software complex "Automated accounting card index of the special agent of the UII" (hereinafter referred to as - PC AKUS UII), etc. The objectives of the creation of the IS PKD were to improve organizational accounting and personnel records management of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation, as well as personnel monitoring. In parallel with the commissioning of the IS PKD, remote training in working with the system was organized for employees of departments of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, since the system, which had a large interface, required certain training and skills ^{[8, p.54]}.

The AKUS UII PC is an electronic file containing a number of data on convicts. These include: conditions of detention of the convicted person; penalties and incentives applied to him; characteristics of the convicted person; information about education. The system allows the employees of the penitentiary system to receive the necessary information about convicts in a timely manner, while reducing the time to search for data to compile certificates and other necessary documents ^{[9, p.434]}.The use of automated systems of IS PKD and PC AKUS UII in the activities of FSIN employees requires a certain level of knowledge of information technologies from employees.

At the same time, the inconsistency of some employees of the penitentiary system with the modern requirements of the digital era, the lack of skills in using modern digital technologies for many employees leads to a number of gaps in their professional activities, which have a negative impact on the quality of work and the effectiveness of the system as a whole ^{[10, p.288]}.One of these negative consequences is the shortage of personnel in the penal enforcement system. According to A.A. Gostev, the head of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation, the personnel shortage is about 20% of the total personnel of the system^[2]. The solution to this problem is seen as a constant professional development of the current staff of the penitentiary system, as well as initial training in the skills of using these funds for newly employed employees.

Unfortunately, most of the educational programs that exist in the field of teaching information technology skills are focused on developing basic computer skills and do not take into account the specifics and requirements of the penal enforcement system. This creates gaps in the knowledge and skills of employees, which negatively affects their work in the field of digitalization. The implementation of such a solution to the problem may be the introduction as a mandatory measure of taking advanced training courses in digital literacy for employees of the UIS.

The introduction of additional courses on improving digital literacy as an additional professional program will help to form the necessary digital competencies in work. Thus, according to D.G. Zybin, D.Y. Churakov and A.V. Antonovsky, one of the types of additional professional programs may be programs based on the requirements of the organization of vocational training. The program may contain information about digital technologies and services that can be directly used by employees of this organization ^{[11, p.42]}. One of such automated systems is currently the developed "Unified Information System of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia" (GIS EIS), which at this stage is only planned to be launched.It is assumed that GIS UIS will provide end-to-end automation of work processes, the formation of databases related to the activities of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, will allow to build interaction between institutions and bodies of the UIS with citizens, legal entities, civil society institutions, public authorities and local governments ^{[12, p.7]}.

The introduction of information systems into the activities of penal institutions, as well as increasing the level of digital literacy of employees through the development of specialized courses, will increase the level of digital competence of employees of the penitentiary system, will contribute to increasing the use of automated systems of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which, in turn, are accompanied by a user-friendly interface, are protected by a security system, contain huge databases, allowing to make timely management decisions, etc. ^{[13, p.92]}. It is important to note that in the conditions of a constantly developing modern society, professional development of employees should be carried out regularly throughout their professional activities.

Digital innovations, the use of which is also necessary in the process of training employees of the UIS, include distance education technologies. Their use in the course of professional training can have a positive impact on the process of acquiring knowledge by future or current employees of the IIS for a number of reasons.

Firstly, distance learning technologies allow you to organize a mobile and flexible learning process. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the educational process was established remotely using distance learning technologies. Educational organizations subordinate to the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation, including the Academy of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation in the city of Ryazan, provided training to cadets through the electronic educational environment (EOS) and the Moodle system. A survey was conducted among students after learning through the use of distance learning technologies, according to which more than 70% of respondents noted the convenience and satisfaction with the specified learning system^{[14, p.155]}.

Secondly, it is important for an active employee to ensure that they receive education without interrupting their official duties. In some foreign countries, there is already a similar experience of professional training of employees through the use of distance learning technologies.For example, back in 2004, a project was launched in Denmark on the use of distance learning in the training of prison staff in order to strengthen the link between theoretical training and practice in prisons.  The introduction of such a training system made it possible to hold meetings of the teaching staff and cadets dispersed throughout the country undergoing practical training. Distance learning was carried out through the use of an electronic platform consisting of conference rooms, where students could communicate with other students, as well as connect to theoretical classes, ask questions to teachers ^{[15, p.103]}.

The use of positive experience in the professional training of employees of penitentiary institutions in European countries, in our opinion, should help the domestic penitentiary system in improving the effectiveness of the formation of professional and special competencies, as well as contribute to the formation of personnel of organizations of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia who possess the skills to use digital technologies in the performance of their duties.

Within the framework of the topic under study, it is important to note that the "inhibition" of the digitalization process of the criminal executive system and, as a result, the low level of use of digital technologies in the professional activities of employees, largely arises from the problem of insufficient financing of the digitalization processes of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.The lack of financial support leads to a lack of the necessary technical equipment necessary for the introduction of modern technologies and access to educational resources.On the part of state institutions, the allocation of necessary funds is periodically stopped. For example, on November 25, 2020, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media refused to agree on a plan for the digital transformation of the Federal Penitentiary Service in the amount of 25 billion rubles.In the plan for the digital transformation of the criminal justice system, a number of IT projects were mentioned, including monitoring the labor of prisoners and the construction of facilities using IT systems, creating an information platform for interacting with citizens, completely converting document flow into electronic form, creating a separate platform that allows you to gain control over data on prisoners and employees of the department^[3].The plan was nevertheless approved, but such a protracted and lengthy procedure for adopting a financial plan negatively affects the overall operation of the entire system, and slows down the process of digitalization of the penal system.

The last most significant problem, in our opinion, is the problem of the lack or insufficient study of modules on the study of information technology, combating cyber attacks and protecting information security in the educational programs of institutions preparing future employees of the Information security system. It is worth noting that at present, specialists with skills to eliminate problems in the field of information security, who have knowledge of the main crimes committed with the help of digital technologies, are becoming more and more in demand. Well-trained specialists are able to effectively resist cyber attacks, protect confidential data and ensure the smooth operation of information systems available in the penal system of the Russian Federation. Future employees, in addition to theoretical knowledge in this area, should also have practical experience, be able to analyze information systems, their characteristics, develop measures to prevent cyber attacks and respond to security threats. Therefore, it is important that the educational programs of universities include practical classes, internships in specialized organizations, as well as solving a number of situational tasks in universities based on real cases.

Taking into account the continuous development of information technologies and the emergence of new threats in the field of information security, it is important that the training of cadets and university students is relevant and meets modern requirements. Teachers should regularly update their knowledge in order to provide students with the most relevant information.

Conclusion.For a comprehensive and effective solution to all the above-mentioned problems, it is necessary to take a number of measures.

The first step should be the development of specialized educational programs that meet the requirements of the digital age for universities that train specialized future employees of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Such programs should include not only the basics of working with a computer, but also the special knowledge and skills necessary to work in this field, which include working with unified automated systems. It is necessary to carry out systematic professional development of digital literacy of employees, taking into account the technologies introduced into their activities. At the same time, the most reliable way to continuously improve the level of digital literacy, as well as to prevent neglect of this instruction, will be legislative consolidation in departmental acts of this paragraph. It is necessary to develop training programs for both students and current employees on the use of information technologies, which are actively being implemented in the activities of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia ^{[16, p.111]}.

An important condition for improving professional training should be the regulation of financing the digitalization process of the criminal executive system, which will provide the penitentiary system with all the equipment necessary for the introduction of digital technologies. This measure will enable employees of the penal enforcement system to effectively master and apply new technologies.

Thus, the problems of professional training of employees of the Russian penal system in the context of digitalization require immediate solutions. Competent and systematic implementation of the developed prospects will optimize the process of execution of criminal penalties, reduce the level of recidivism, as well as improve the state of law and order in institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation.

^[1]Brief description of the penal enforcement system of the Russian Federation. URL: https://fsin.gov.ru/structure/inspector/iao/statistika/Kratkaya%20har-ka%20UIS//(date of application: 05/04/2024).

^[2] Arkady Gostev: The FSIN is experiencing a personnel shortage. URL: https://dzen.ru/a/Zfwm3uP5mjblUcbi (date of application: 05/04/2024)

^[3]The Ministry of Finance blocked the digitalization project of the Federal Penitentiary Service. URL: https://www.rbc.ru/society/25/11/2020/5fbe09af9a79477f41a2da2f (date of application: 05/04/2024)