Ukraine has already started the process of releasing prisoners to serve in the army, as reported by Minister of Justice Denys Malyuska. According to him, almost 350 prisoners have already been released under the new law, which allows convicts to serve in the army in exchange for parole after completing their service.
There are currently 4,300 parole applications filed with the courts, and the court system is actively processing most of these applications. Malyuska noted that up to 20,000 prisoners, including those in pretrial detention, could be recruited to serve in the Ukrainian army.
This policy resembles a practice widely used by Russia to strengthen its Armed Forces, but there are significant differences. The Russian program is open to prisoners convicted of violent crimes, while Ukrainian law does not apply to people convicted of two or more murders, rapes or other serious crimes. A person convicted of one murder can only be released if there are no aggravating circumstances, such as sexual assault.
Malyuska emphasized that the main reasons for the adoption of this law are difficulties with the conscription of "ordinary" citizens. He also noted that many inmates currently refusing parole are waiting to see how the first wave of volunteers will fare. They want to know how well the recruits will be trained, whether the new soldiers and ex-prisoners are satisfied, and whether they are treated well.
"This will be a key moment," the minister emphasized, stressing the importance of the quality of training and treatment of recruits for the success of this initiative.
