Instead of Social Services – chekists: in russia, the fsb Will Take Care of Teenagers

russia’s federal security service is preparing to integrate its own detention centers into the probation and crime prevention system for minors. To this end, the fsb has already drafted a government resolution, which provides for the inclusion of departmental detention centers in all key mechanisms for registering and interacting with children and teenagers who have come to the attention of law enforcement agencies.

According to the document, the fsb will have the right to enter data on minors into state information systems, participate in the work of commissions on children’s affairs, and keep records of persons subject to probation programs.

Until now, the division of responsibilities was clear: isolation was handled by the federal penal service, probation – by special services, and crime prevention – by juvenile commissions and the police. That balance made it possible to avoid excessive centralization of power. Now, however, the fsb is seeking to concentrate all these levers of influence in its own hands.

Officially, this step is explained by the rise in juvenile crime in russia. However, due to a shortage of personnel in the security forces, russian authorities are forced to transfer these functions even to a special service. This trend may result in even greater politicization of the issue of juvenile crime in russia and its use for repressive practices.