MOSCOW, March 13 - RAPSI. Over 10,000 Russians sentenced to restricted freedom are controlled using electronic bracelets, Federal Penitentiary Service spokesperson Yelena Zarembinskaya told the media on Wednesday.

Ninety-one of the 2,000 convicts under house arrest in Russia also wear them, she added.

Overall, electronic bracelets have been used on 30,000 people since the new form of punishment - restricted freedom - was introduced in 2010.

Not all convicts sentenced to restricted freedom are controlled using electronic bracelets, she said. The decision is made by the chief of the local penitentiary inspection, and many factors are taken into account, including the convict's personal qualities and how far their residence is located from the penitentiary office.

Over 800 people have been sent to prisons for violating the freedom restrictions imposed by the court, she said.

Using an electronic bracelet is not mandatory. It is an option that can be chosen by the local inspection, and it cannot be used on people with artificial pacemakers.
Corruption in the Federal Penitentiary Service has featured predominately in media reports as of late.

The Audit Chamber recently exposed 3.7 billion rubles ($120 million) worth of violations in state contracts signed by the service.

The service allegedly procured electronic bracelets for convicts at overstated prices and in a higher quantity than needed. The Investigative Committee said earlier that the damages from acquiring the bracelets could exceed 1.3 billion rubles ($42.35 million). The penitentiary service also admitted that a total of 10 billion rubles ($325.7 million) worth of violations were uncovered during their financial audit.