MOSCOW, September 9 (RAPSI) – A bill, proposing to implement criminal penalties of two to three years for the substitution of prisoners by prison employees, has been submitted to the State Duma, RIA Novosti reported on Wednesday.

The authors of the bill point out that a prisoner cannot be substituted with a person who agrees to serve the said prisoner’s term without an officials’ assistance.

The MPs intend to address this issue by introducing criminal responsibility for anyone involved in substitution crimes. A prisoner who attempts to evade justice this way would be given a new term one-third longer than the initial sentence. Those who agree to serve the prisoner’s term could be sentenced to 10 years in prison. Any officials who are involved in the conspiracy could be sentenced to a prison term ranging between two and three years and receive a five-year ban on holding certain posts.