MOSCOW, July 10 (RAPSI) – Members of the upper house of Russian parliament on Wednesday supported a legislative proposal to allow non-serious crimes convicts to be engaged in labour outside penal colonies.

The bill envisages creation of special units of the penal colonies and correctional facilities on the territory of certain organizations, which will be obliged to provide living, medical and sanitary conditions for convicted laborers.

The order of establishment and functioning of such working districts will be determined by the Justice Ministry; an agreement between penal colonies and organizations using a convict as labour will be approved by the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), the draft law reads.

According to Chairman of the State Duma Committee on state building and legislation Pavel Krasheninnikov, the initiative has been drafted to boost employment of convicts and recovery of damages caused by their crimes.

Amendments have been proposed to the Penal Code of the Russian Federation. They are expected to come into force on January 1, 2020.