Uzbekistan proposes expanding the list of goods available to convicts

Uzbekistan is considering a proposal to expand the range of goods available to inmates. This follows from draft amendments to the Internal Regulations of Penitentiary Institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The draft also calls for updating the lists of food, clothing, hygiene products, and other items that inmates are permitted to purchase and possess.

According to the proposed amendments, inmates and their relatives will be able to purchase permitted goods through information kiosks installed in correctional facilities, as well as through external electronic platforms such as websites and mobile apps. Traditional methods of receiving goods—parcels and deliveries—will remain.

Items and objects that are not prohibited but exceed established limits will be stored in the facility's warehouse and issued to the inmate upon their request. The facility will monitor compliance with the permitted range of goods and packaging requirements.

Separate changes are proposed for prisoners serving sentences in penal colonies: it is planned to lift monthly restrictions on the weight and quantity of food products they are allowed to purchase and store.

The updated list of goods and items permitted for purchase and storage includes 24 categories. Specifically, it is proposed to allow bread and bakery products, salted and smoked fish, dairy products, cheeses, dry confectionery, tea and coffee, vegetables, fruits and dried fruits, canned goods, spices and sauces, fast food, beverages and juices, as well as sausages and tobacco products.

The list also includes office supplies and household goods, personal and general hygiene products, household chemicals and cleaning products, clothing, bedding and sleeping accessories, textiles, and footwear.

Convicts are also proposed to be permitted to purchase and possess fiction, journalistic, technical, popular science, and religious literature, textbooks, newspapers and magazines, a prayer rug, and rosary beads. They will also be allowed to own one set of chess, checkers, dominoes, and backgammon.

The document also provides for the possibility of introducing seasonal restrictions on certain permitted goods in penal institutions and penal colonies, taking into account sanitary rules, regulations, and hygiene standards.