“St. Petersburg City Arrest House”
Part II
“The work of those arrested is of significant importance to them; I am reducing their arrest period. At the same time, the administration allows the administration to have free labor to maintain the frequency and constant repair of equipment, since among those kept there are many vandals who want to scratch, break, spoil everything that they can get their hands on. In addition, the provision of work for reducing the period of arrest serves in the hands of the administration as an excellent means of restraining those arrested, since refusal to work is one of the most sensitive punishments.
From the report for 1902 it is clear that 24,289 people were held under arrest, including 475 nobles, 220 honorary citizens and merchants, 4,670 burghers, 18,839 peasants, and 85 foreign nationals.
By occupation they are distributed as follows: 497 people engaged in writing, 74 musicians and singers, 67 students, 67 artists and painters in private service 62, 60 officials, 51 mechanics, 22 actors, 17 teachers, 15 pharmacists and paramedics, 8 reporters, 8 lawyers, 5 doctors, 1 architects. The rest of the prisoners consisted of artisans, cab drivers, janitors, servants and laborers. There were 2,246 women, of whom only 15 were engaged in mental or shift work. But between them there were 604 prostitutes, or 26.9% of the total. Although the arrested are admitted to the arrest house for a period of 1 day to 3 months, the average duration of arrest is only 4 days. Thanks to this, with a capacity of 300-400 people, up to 25 thousand people serve their sentences there during the year and there is no overcrowding of arrestees.
Unfortunately, due to the short duration of the arrest (1-2 days), the punishment is reduced to virtually zero. Among such short-term arrests should be included those sentenced for appearing on the street while intoxicated. Although this category is quite harmless in a sober state, punishing habitual drunkards with arrest is completely in vain, which is confirmed by the enormous recidivism. Thus, over the course of several years, the bourgeois woman L. was kept in the arrest house 30 times.
Another category of those arrested, especially unpleasant for the administration, are those sentenced to arrest for arriving in the capital without permission. Among them there are many who have already been deprived of their rights by court, who have served heavy sentences in prisons, prison companies, and some who have fled from Siberia. Such persons have to be kept out of contact with other prisoners; a special department has been set up for them, where they are kept under enhanced supervision.
All those arrested are content with simple but well-prepared food. Lunch consists of two dishes: soup or cabbage soup and porridge. Persons of privileged classes receive the same food as other prisoners, but on holidays they are entitled to a third course.
Although those arrested are allowed to order food at the established rate at their own expense, very few enjoy this right, which only confirms the sufficiency and good quality of the food they are entitled to. Brown bread is baked in the bakery of the arrest house. 13.5 kopecks are allocated for food per person per day, but currently about 11 kopecks are spent.
There is a church in the arrest house, attendance of which is compulsory for all Orthodox Christians. In addition to divine services, it also hosts conversations of a spiritual and moral nature.
The reading room in the arrest house can accommodate up to 50 people; it is eagerly visited mainly by long-term prisoners.
The outpatient clinic serves to provide medical care to those arrested in the cell, as well as for periodic examination by a doctor of those being held, since someone who turns out to be healthy at the time of admission may then become ill.”
(“Petersburg newspaper”, September 18, 1903)
“ВЧК ОГПУ”
