As some people wanted, I made this thread to tell more about Russian and ex-ussr prisons and their system.

Types of prison:
KPZ(Jail) - This is when you get arrested, you get sent here for two days(48 hours), there also go those who are given 15 days jail time. Here's a picture of KPZ in Riga, that I was in till I got transfered to SIZO. It's located in the last floor of the building.

SIZO(Investigation Prison) - This is where you are sent after KPZ when in a law court you've been given an detention. So, you sit here until your law court comes up or until you've been amnested or let free under another type of security measure(such as in my situation, I got let home in exchange of going twice a week to the local police station and putting a signature on a sheet they gave to me, it's called "police control").
Here's a picture of Riga Central Prison(only one investigation prison in Latvia), that I was in also.

There are also prisons in Liepaja and Valmiera, where there are sections where people do time during investigation. But they're considered zone's.
Zona(Prison) - This is where you get sent after you've been given real prison time in law court. We call it "Zona" or the Zone in english. This is where you do your time until you are let free.

There are 12 Zone's in Latvia:
Brasa Prison
Cesis Juvenile Prison
Daugavgriva Prison
Ilguciems Women's Prison
Jelgava Prison
Jekabpils Prison
Liepaja Prison
Olaine Prison
Matisa Prison(Inside Riga Central Prison Territory)
Shkirotava Prison
Valmiera Prison
Vecumnieki Prison

Prisoner Kasta's
Blatnie(Important People), Thieves in Law( - These are prisoners with experience in doing time. Usually not younger than 40 years old, men who spent most of their life behind bars with large criminal records. They live by ponyatiya, as it's the law to them. They spent their lives to become where they are. Usually they live very well in their prison cells and even the prison guards are their dogs and work for them. It's a very long process to become a Blatnoi and you need really much respect from everyone around to keep the status.
Patsani(Boys) - The other prisoners who live by ponyatiya, with not so much experience in doing time. They live their lives in prison and all day long are in action, sending "horses", making moonshine, organizing stuff trough cellphones, etc.
Muzhiki(Men) - These are people who want live peacefully in prison and do their time, they don't go on competition in the hierarchy of others and don't cooperate with administration. They do different house work around the prison, such as serving food or sweeping floors, construction work also.
Leviyi(Left) including Petuhi(Roosters), Krisi(Rats), Kozli(Goats) - They are the most lower kasta, the ones who were downed for a reason. Petuhi are those who are raped in prison for example doing a crime that is rape, pedophilia or murdering/harming a child in any way. Krisi are those who steal inside prison from other prisoners(by ponyatiya you are not allowed to steal from anyone in prison). Kozli are snitches, no matter it's inside prison or outside, if someone inside knows you're a Kozyol(snitched someone), you're doomed to be raped or pissed on and sent to the Leviyi hata(cell).
Musara(cops) - These are prisoners who have been themselves earlier in their life a cop, security guard, been in military, prison guard or any other type of that government work that includes being in direct order under it. Also if someone in your family has been in such a position, you also live together with cops in prison. They usually sit in their cells and are not let together with other prisoners, as there they'd risk to be killed, raped, etc.

Ponyatiya - Right ideas, a code that everyone must obey in prison. Made by Thieves in Law very long time ago. Not obeying ponyatiya is considered as a sin inside prison and you might get downed for that or even killed.

I'LL CONTINUE THIS THREAD A BIT LATER. Will write more about ponyatiya, how to interact in a Russian prison, what type of cells are there and also how easily you can get a mobile phone or drugs and even a hooker inside prison.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE, POST THEM HERE!

What's interesting is that "rat" in Russian doesn't mean "informant", but whoever steals from the "Obshak" (the criminal organization's common fund).

First difference I noted between US prisoners and the clips I've seen of Russian prisoners is physical size.

Do Russian prisoners exercise to become more physically intimidating/strong enough to protect themselves or not?

Every clip or picture I've seen shows little men with tattoos that explain their criminal lives.

When they air jail or prison shows about Americans, even guys in city or county lockup seem to be lifting.

Were these part of the GULAG system? Or not?

USA prisons as told by a friend who was in one, gives you really good food that you can get really muscly and buffed up from. In ex-USSR prisons the food isn't so good, but you can buy normal food from the prison store if you got money.

About skinny and no so skinny prisoners. In ex-USSR we have sportsmen hata(sportsman cell), there goes every guy who's into sports. In these cells people will be big as they work out hard as people you see on American documentaries. Here's some pictures of Riga Central Prison of inmates from sportsmen hata:




These are the sportsmen, who are into sports, they train all day in prison. Then there are normal hatas, where sits these small skinny guys or fat guys and oter "patsani" who are more into thinking than getting buffed up.
Then there's the blatnoi hata. There sits Blatnie and Thieves in Law if there are any in prison at the time.


The KPZ I posted wasn't a part of the Gulag as it's built in the 2000's. Riga Central Prison was working as a prison at that time, but you can't consider it as a Gulag, as everyone who got sent to the Gulag were sent to Siberia. However, Riga Central Prison was a prison where the Thieves in Law always had an influence even till nowdays.

Thank you for answering my questions.

I read on another site how OC in Russia/ex-USSR countries how their tattoos tell about the prisoner, his cries, etc. Is it like that in your country?

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140424-decoding-russian-criminal-tattoos

Yes, only tattoo's are not so much used nowdays in Latvia as people don't want to lable themselves as ex-inmates. Of course if your home is prison and you're there up to spend thirthy years, you can tattoo yourself, I got two friends who have such tattoo's, one is 28 years old and another is around 25.
When I was inside those two weeks I also got offered to get tattoo's, but I didn't want to as I think it puts a lable on you for your whole life, people who know these tattoo's will know you're a convict.

How brutal are present day ex USSR prisons with respect to the behavior of guards/prison staff ? Do inmates still get regularly beaten like ( at least allegedly ) back in Soviet times ? Are there any differences between individual ex USSR countries or is it much the same across the board ?