The Federal Prison Service denied on Monday that it planned to ditch a major perk of working for the Russian prison system — travel-expense-paid trips to exotic places like Cuba for vacation.
Current legislation allows prison employees to receive reimbursement for plane and train tickets or gasoline expenses after a vacation, regardless of the cost. But a Federal Prison Service official told RIA-Novosti on Sunday that the practice would be abolished starting next year.
"Employees already have been informed about the plans to give up the practice. Everyone's decided to use their reimbursed vacations now and travel to faraway countries, for example, Cuba," the official said.
But prison service spokesman Alexander Kromin denied any change Monday, saying his agency would continue to reimburse its employees for vacation-related travel regardless of where they went, RIA-Novosti reported.
No information is available on where the prison officials spend their vacations and how much the trips cost taxpayers. The Federal Prison Service has some 346,000 employees, compared with 649,000 inmates nationwide.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
