MOSCOW, January 9 (RAPSI) – Over 3,600 persons were sentenced to community service in Russia  the last two years, the Federal Penitentiary Service’s press office reported Wednesday.

More than 2,500 convicts have already served their sentence. Other 1,100 individuals sentenced to community service are still enduring their punishment, the statement reads.

A new type of punishment, compulsory community service, was introduced in Russia on January 1, 2017 as an alternative to imprisonment for minor or medium-gravity crimes. According to the law, people sentenced to community service placed in special correction centres, used as labours, and parts of their wages are deducted to the state revenue.

As of today, correction centres and isolated areas of penitentiary facilities working as correction centres are established in 56 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, Federal Penitentiary Service’s press office says.