On January 12, the 29th joint conference of employees of the penal system of the Belgorod region and clergymen of the Belgorod Metropolitan Church was held, dedicated to the Day of Mercy for Convicts, according to the press service of the Belgorod diocese.
Traditionally, the event is preceded by a visit to prisoners. This year Metropolitan John, the clergy and the leadership of the Federal Penitentiary Service visited the penal colony No. 8 in Chernyanka settlement.
Here in the church of "All Saints in the Land of All Who Shone in Russia" a prayer service was held, and then on the training ground Vladyka congratulated the inmates of the colony-settlement on New Year's Day and Christmas.
By tradition, as part of the celebration of the Day of Mercy for Prisoners, which the Belgorod diocese was one of the first in Russia to organize, a joint conference was held between the management and staff of the Belgorod Region Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service and the clergy who provide spiritual and pastoral care for prisoners in detention centers.
This meeting summarized the results of cooperation in the past year and discussed the plan of work in the coming year. The meeting was opened by Colonel Alexander Budantsev, Head of the Belgorod Region Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia.
Metropolitan John in his In his greeting he presented statistical data on the number of active churches in the territory of correctional institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service and the clergy who feed inmates in prisons, the number of vigils and services performed. Vladyka paid special attention to the activities of correctional centers, which allow people for good behavior to be in a light regime, as well as to work at nearby enterprises. Metropolitan John visited one of such centers, created in Yakovlevsky district by the group of companies "Agro-Belogorie" last year. Vladyka also suggested making a documentary film about the successful experience of the re-socialization program in Belgorod Region. The leadership of the UVFSin supported this idea.
Vladyka also expressed his gratitude to the staff and management of the regional department of the Federal Penitentiary Service for their cooperation and openness to dialogue with the clergy in the work of feeding and re-socialization of the released prisoners. Diocesan awards were presented to the employees and clergymen of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Federal Penitentiary Service for these efforts. In recognition of their hard work for the glory of the Holy White Mountains, Archdiocesan letters of commendation were presented to:
To the Head of the UFSIN of Russia for Belgorod Region, Colonel of Internal Service Alexander Nikolayevich Budantsev;
Head of the Chernyansky District Administration Tatyana Petrovna Kruglyakova;
Lieutenant Colonel of Internal Service Andrei Sergeevich Lusta, Head of Federal Penitentiary Correctional Center-7 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Federal Penitentiary Service;
Major of Internal Service Alexei Yuryevich Mishin, Head of Federal Penitentiary Correctional Center-8 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Federal Penitentiary Service;
Major of Internal Service Yulia Anatolyevna Vorotiy, Deputy Head of the Federal Penitentiary Institution KP-8 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Federal Penitentiary Service, Major of Internal Service;
Lieutenant Colonel of Internal Service Alexei Vasilyevich Gnipov, Head of the Federal Penitentiary Institution SIZO-2 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Federal Penitentiary Service.
The Medal of the Holy Martyr Nicodemus, Bishop of Belgorod, II degree was awarded to the Deputy Head of the UFSIN of Russia in Belgorod region, Colonel of Internal Service Vitaly Nikolaevich Avdeev, and the medal of the III degree was awarded to the rector of the church in the name of the Great Martyr Anastasiya Uzoreshitelnitsa (FKU Novooskolskaya VKU UFSIN), Priest Andrei Kuts and the dean of the Yakovlevsky district, chairman of the prison commission of the Gubkin diocese, rector of the prayer room of St. Righteous John of Kronstadt (site № 1 FKU IC-1 UFSIN), Archpriest John Zadorozhny.
The Bishop also summarized the results of the annual competition "Not by numbers, but by humility" for the best Orthodox community of inmates of correctional institutions of the region, which is held with the support of the "Generation" fund of State Duma deputy Andrei Skoch:
3rd place in the competition went to the community of a prayer room in honor of Archangel Michael, located in the building of the Ukrainian Federal Penitentiary Service, with Priest Alexander Retinsky in charge. The congregation received a cross and a liturgical Gospel;
2nd place in the competition went to the community of St. Nicholas Church on the territory of pre-trial detention center No. 3, whose rector is Archpriest John Borchuk. The congregation received a lectern;
This year's winner was the community of the Church of All Saints in the Land of All Saints in the Russian Federation who have shone in the territory of the colony-settlement No. 8, the rector of which is Archpriest Stephen Zharovsky. The community received a donation of a Eucharistic set for the Divine Liturgy.
Tatyana Petrovna Kruglyakova, head of the Chernyansky District Administration, also addressed the participants of the meeting.
Also by tradition were presented reports and messages on current topics of interaction between the UFSIN of the Metropolis. "Interaction between the Correctional Service of the Belgorod region and the clergy of the Belgorod Metropolitan Church, feeding the correctional institutions of the region at the present stage of development of the penal system" - with such a report was made by the head of the department of educational and social work with prisoners of the UFSIN Colonel of Internal Service Alexei Viktorovich Belousov.
With the report on the topic: "On the results of pastoral care of employees The Assistant Head of the Penitentiary System of the Belgorod Region, as well as suspects, accused and convicts held in the institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Belgorod Region" spoke by Priest Alexander Retinsky, Assistant to the Head of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the organization of work with believers.
Archpriest Ioann Zadorozhny, dean of the Yakovlevsky District, spoke about the activities of the correctional center in the Yakovlevsky District in his report, "Experience in feeding prisoners sentenced to forced labor and employees of the correctional center.
The results of joint work of the correctional center staff and clergymen of the Belgorod Metropolis, aimed at the prevention of crimes and offenses related to illicit drug trafficking, were described by the head of the Federal Correctional Center-1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Federal Penitentiary Service, Colonel of Internal Service Alexander Pimenov.
Hieromonk Andrei (Sumin), head of the prison ministry department of the Valuysk diocese, spoke about the organization of interaction between the Valuysk diocese and correctional institutions located in the canonical territory of the Valuysk diocese.
Senior inspector for special assignments of the executive and post-penitentiary probation group of the UFSIN, Major of Internal Service Inna V. Rotova made a report on the topic: "On the organization of Cooperation between the Belgorod Region Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia and the Belgorod Metropolitan Church for the purpose of re-socialization, social adaptation and social rehabilitation of probationers".
Taking into account the relevance of the implementation of probation in the Russian Federation, Metropolitan Ioann and Alexander Budantsev signed an agreement on cooperation between the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Belgorod region and the Belgorod Metropolis for the purposes of re-socialization, social adaptation and social rehabilitation of persons subject to probation in accordance with the Federal Law of 06.02.2023 № 10-FZ "On Probation in the Russian Federation".
The conference concluded with the adoption of the work plan for the current year, which was reflected in the Final Document.
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