MOSCOW, September 16 (RAPSI) – Last year, Russia’s Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova received 141 applications from convicts on issues related to their social welfare, the Ombudsman Office informs on Wednesday.

In the same period, 41 applicants sought assistance after being released from custody, a member of Ombudsman’s staff said addressing participants of the All-Russian Conference on Resocialization and Adaptation of Convicted Citizens hosted by Russia’s Civic Chamber.

The convicts turning to the Rights Commissioner seek help in settling problems relating to pensions, social benefits and allowances; some applicants ask for assistance in acquiring identification documents, professional diplomas and certificates, or papers confirming length of work; citizenship documents and disability certificates, the staffer noted.

Earlier, Deputy Head of the Department for Organizational and Analytical Support of the Directorate for Educational, Social, and Psychological Work of Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) Sergey Gudin informed the audience that about 200,000 convicts are being released in Russia each year.