Private investors create jobs for inmates in Kyrgyz correctional colonies

Private entrepreneurs and the State Service for Execution of Sentences (GSIN) are establishing industrial workshops within correctional facilities in Kyrgyzstan to provide inmates with employment and skills.

Ruslan Choybekov, an entrepreneur with a registered brand in Russia, opened a sewing workshop in Colony No. 27. This facility replaced traditional cell-based structures with production areas, some of which are located in the central building. The workshop produces between 10,000 and 15,000 items each month, primarily women's trouser suits.

Choybekov employs around 150 people in this production line, with 102 of them holding official employment. Ermek Turumbekov launched a furniture production initiative in Colony No. 1. This project, which started with the GSIN, currently employs about 50 people. Turumbekov stated that he views working with inmates as comparable to working with regular employees and intends to offer jobs to former prisoners after they are released.

Other facilities provide a variety of services and products to help inmates prepare for life outside the colonies. Colony No. 1 operates a car maintenance station for staff and local residents, while Colony No. 27 features a workshop for assembling LED lamps and a greenhouse for growing vegetables. These initiatives aim to help inmates develop practical skills to improve their chances of successful reintegration into society.