2. Features of secret written communication

Secret written communication in criminal groups of minors and young people also exists in freedom. But it is especially developed in conditions of social exclusion, when correspondence is under the control of the administration. Knowing that their correspondence is subject to perusal, adolescents and young offenders use legal written communication in order to: mislead the administration by emphasizing the best sides of their character, demonstrating the alleged corrected (tm); to soften persons who can read the letter, to cause sympathy for themselves and their fate (in the jargon such letters are called tears); use legal correspondence to transmit illegal information, i.e. criminal content information.
Experienced adolescents and young people, for example, write to their relatives and friends that they have decided to break with the criminal past, curse this past, repent of the crime committed, counting on the fact that this information will be known to educators and they will believe them. The possibility of such misinformation should always be remembered when working with pedagogically neglected adolescents and offenders.
From confidential conversations with persons released from IC, we found that over 83% of them resorted to illegal written communication: 21% systematically, 34% several times; the rest once.
During the time they served their sentences, they used the following methods of illegal communication: they sent letters through legal channels, but encoded information; they sent letters through illegal channels through intermediaries (disengaged) convicts, through "fugitives", through freelance employees and other persons who found themselves on the territory of IC: drivers, forwarders, etc. The transmitted information could be either coded or uncoded.
Those who are deprived of their liberty are resorted to coding the contents of a letter when there is a danger of its interception and when the letters contain information whose disclosure can harm them. For coding, simple ways are most often used: hints by individual words in the text; recollection of facts and events known only to the addressee and capable of directing him to the necessary thought; allegory; the use of various marks and signs on the margins; specially signed signature and other details of the letter.
On complex coding methods using "sympathetic" ink, cipher, cryptographer, grids (patterns) and conditional alphabet, which are very common in places of detention in tsarist Russia and transmitted according to tradition from one prisoner to another, in modern conditions, and especially among minors and young people, we have no information. In rare cases, offenders resort to the creation of complete coding systems. This does not mean that adolescents and young people today show less prison cunning, ingenuity and resourcefulness in search of channels and means of illegal communication. They just do not see the need for it.
With the tightening of conditions of detention, limited communication opportunities (for example, the introduction of sometime local zones and the division of colonies into unique "colonies in colonies"), the system of illegal written communication came to life, ways to exchange information and interact using modern human minds began to be revived and technology. This is clearly seen from the disturbances that have taken place in recent years in prisons, colonies, pre-trial detention centers associated with the seizure of hostages, the difficult distribution of duties between convicts and prisoners in different cells, etc. Today, even the placement of "authority" ("puff") in the disciplinary room gives rise to the impulse to secret communication, the exchange of information with it, carried out by its followers.
Notes are transferred from the body to the isolator with the help of a "horse" (nylon thread), are fired from a special device, etc.


Letters of thieves' authorities to prisoners held in the Vologda prison.

Vologda IUTs, and especially prison, were traditionally considered to be the “red zone” all the time, where strong and capable public organizations of prisoners were created by the efforts of IUT workers. Therefore, the thieves' laws and rules of the modern "infinite" - the prestigious new formations - did not spread here.
The majority of the convicts understood: it is better to observe the internal routine, than to give the command to the "thieves" and the "unlimited". Therefore, "thieves in law" are making every effort to establish their own rules in this "red zone": to appoint their own beholder, to create a thieves obshchak ("thieves' good"). Sending a letter to the prison on the indicated huts (chambers), they tried to find out not only the mood of the prisoners, but also where the “hen” (informant of the police station) sits, they warn who goes to the stage and who has what characteristic, who can be trusted and who not. All letters of "thieves in law" are standard in circulation: wishes of good and the common good to the general mass. And it ends, in which camera (hut) to send and what to demand from the administration, who do not trust, etc.
These letters were intercepted by the operative. They clearly see the norms and values ​​that the thieves' world adheres to, as well as the use of authoritative criminal jargon. Those who violate the laws of thieves, waiting for a knife, especially those who cooperate with the administration.
* * *
Peace to our home, vagrants and men of the Vologda Central!
Sincere thieves hello. Finally, the shifts in the Vologda Central came, but one thing only - why did not the Malyavi who drove the central towards you and why they weren’t announced, and why didn’t they get to the poor goers on the covered one? We urge everyone who is aware of the fate of the Malyava, to give a run on the highway, to find out urgently for the young pikeperch, who was given two Malyava. Have you heard on the highway and all the discrepancies with regard to the covered, also the investigative corps? Why there is no movement and who is slowing down it, look, do not burn yourself in people, take a closer look, there someone does not give a move to minnows, someone intercepts them, and bear in mind - there will be demand from everyone to give urgent movement along Central. With the lads, with the covered prepare as it should and wait for the final malyava and thieves' decisions. On this central, it should be like everywhere else, the move for everything, and only for us move, and not trash. We call everyone who is central, treat everything strictly and ask from everyone and for all to the full extent of our life. Those who have fallen into the trash, you know what to do, these people are trash, a knife is waiting for them: it’s not too late - think, today, and tomorrow on the track.
Urgently describe for this malyava and drive to the covered one, let the malyavu and the solution be expected. God bless you and our idea, with sincere respect for the thieves in Vologda.
Thief Detkhasan.

* * *
Hello, Thief Bakhtiyar! From the heart of sparks. We wish you health, well-being, golden freedom and vagrants near the Zlatoust Central.
The thief Emil left to watch the position of the central tramp Stepa "Murmansk" and Kohl "Young", located in the 13th. 4 boxes special. At this time in the central position left by the Thieves at the same level. The whole mass in connection with the events had the willingness and desire to get up at any desired time, to freeze the administration and administration. In connection with the concessions by the owner of the position, the vagabond supported solidarity within the framework of those known to you in written confirmation of the past by the Thieves in your name in the Zlatoust Central. What we put in the course Vor Emil, also through the air. We confirm - you wrote with the participation of the Thief Eugene "Modavan", entrusted to "Sheremet" when leaving the Chrysostom. We received the dark-blue Thieves of Vladimir - the Central, and received the light of the Thief of Emil "All Houses". Thy written by Thief Bihtiyar, in the absence of thieves for the period, by air, immediately went to the address, Thief of Emil. We give also notified, the answer is sent to you Vorovskoy from Moscow. The thief “Go-Vorunsik” is currently in the investigative prison of Vladimir, from where he notified the vagrants to the central station by air, and he also notified the voyage from the local zones about the “buzz” before leaving. From "Sheremet", there were news from him, he was not accepted into the zones, he was also notified in the investigative office about the event and the course of the thieves. At this time in the Novocherkassk covered Thieves are not, people left to monitor the situation, as well.
In the Sverdlovsk prison-transfer, on the 2nd cor. 92 x. is the Thief Lesha Zaostrovsky. On the spices are people and the position of the beholders. On the covered in Balashov also Thieves are not present, not in the position of the beholders.
From vagrants who drove into the central, in connection with the events on the Gulag, on the tracks and shipments, prisoners complain about the garbage turns of the variegations called themselves vagrants. Who caught the silence, or provoked the case of the Gulag, in local areas "in the main". M / k on this occasion left to the Thieves, on arrival, which will become familiar. On you, the Thief Bakhtiyar, there is also a w / w from the zemov, addressed to our central, which was 3 to Sasha at the autopsy, for complaints of convicts in the events.
On this we confine ourselves, wishing you, the Thief Bakhtiyar, and the vagabond Zlatoust Central, from worthy prisoners and vagrants of the Vladimir Central, mental avenue, health, best wishes.
From SW. Kohl "Young", Stepa "Murmansk".
11/15/91


To all worthy prisoners of the Vologda Central. Convicted, convicted and undergoing transit. Take into account and rewrite, sending without delay on all huts attached to the requirements of the run. We must try to ensure that the requirements were given to each hut before the 14th of November. Leave a copy of these requirements in your hut, and give the original for review. Let everyone who agrees, let him sign in each copy (both in the copy and in the original). During this month, no hunger strikes, suffered longer. During the month, pay special attention to the "roads". Transit! Describe all the news and • ° not &; gt; I am on the track to the neighboring huts. Be interested in the movements of each other. Stay on course Position in each hut, about all the problems and needs. Organize in each hut ob-shchachek, i.e. tea and smoking, and do not disregard the sick and needy. Only communication will help in the formation of the arrested - Nashenskogo move. God bless you, my dears, good luck! As well as health and earthly goods! Sun and freedom !!!
11.11.91 years. With arrest wishes.
Sanka "Siskin" (Kingisepsky).
233 hut.

R.S. On the back, put the number of the hut, which was run. Return run is required. Orient yourself, in what hut has not yet been run. Delays are excluded !!! Separately unsubscribe at 233 x., Where the run was!
Brothers 234 h., 235 h., 219 h., 220 h.

* * *
Based on the Universal Declaration of Rights and Freedoms of September 5, 1991, as well as the article in the newspaper "Particular attention zone" No. 252 of Komsomolskaya Pravda for November 1, 1991, which mentions the monthly moratorium from 11/13/91 to 13/12/91 on strikes.
We are convicts and suspects, as well as prison regime, we demand better conditions of detention. During this month, the administration is obliged to report by radio to everyone that all measures have been taken to satisfy our requirements for each item. If the administration does not take any action within a month, we will be forced to accept our own.

REQUIREMENTS:
1. Replace the convoy with the Russians, and send those to their republics, and let them disrupt the evil there.
2. The attitude of the administration, there are physical "punishment", lawlessness.
3. Revise Art. on taking into custody (according to the Vienna Convention of International Rights and Freedoms, so that the judge, in the presence of a lawyer, makes a preventive measure, arrest).
4. Sockets in the hut, boilers.
5. Store: tea at least 400 gr., Cigarettes at least 20 packs. The stall itself up to 50 rubles. If prices are negotiable for products other than a stall, i.e. not included in the amount laid.
6. Leave drugs in patients who are always with them.
7. Tea in packages unlimited.
8. Hang up ads for relatives, so that they know that they are supposed to receive 8 kg each, 2 times a month.
9. Cigarettes do not break.
10. Limit with correspondence.
11. Newspapers every day.
12. Mattresses transit.
13. In the punishment cell, remove the "fur coat" and make a wooden floor.
14. Radio points and issuance of newspapers. We are isolated in the punishment cell from everyone, but not without information.
15. Tickling in a punishment cell and mattresses for the night.
11.11.91 years
Convicted: signatures legible.

* * *
Peace to our home, tramps and men! Appeals to you "thief Bryansky." Now our time has come, when we, together for a bright cause of our good, will be able to break and achieve our goal, that which we are supposed to do is thoroughly. And we now put everything except vodka. On all the centers, the thieves of the Malyava dispersed everywhere and considered one left, the Vologda prison, which you cannot break. This central has been red since centuries, as well as zones. Are there really no decent prisoners among you who support the thieves' idea, break the regime and make our move. After all, there is a common hostel at all the centers, where all those without exception are used by those people who are novice at all, and why you still have some kind of bowing head. They need to be broken, how many vagrants have they ruined, how much they have lost their boundaries, how much we will look at all this. Everywhere they only speak for Vologda, and I write with great confidence that there will be worthy tramps of the thieves' movement who will do anything but put it in the right way and in the right way for us.
Also, please unsubscribe on the highway for the events of all and all those vagrants who will take over this bright business. We will try to give a move to all who will pass from decent prisoners through the Vologda Central, it will be your help. Also there are griefs sitting on a covered one, and there is still no road, no common ground - this is a trash movement, for which they will ask from a vagabond and strictly. You know that! Here you have the month of November, before the end of the month that everything is delivered, because on all the centers in the union, and keep in mind that this is the last malyava on the Vologda central, connect the whole central, all, covered connect only when necessary, and then if it occurs and there is no other way to connect, then covered. Trash can not go garbage, keep strictly the rules of a normal quiet environment, do not give the garbage any reason at all, if they pull out the last ones - do not give.

On this, let me finish my malyavu. With all our hearts and thieves meetings we wish you good luck in our bright business. God bless you, may peace be our home.
With sincere respect for the thieves of "VOR BRYANSKY" To drive through the zones of Vologda and destroy.

* * *
The growth of the drug business and the shadow economy is especially conducive to the improvement of secret written communication. Mafia structures in these areas of crime are characterized by a special corporate and complex multi-stage organization, where the written communication is used only in exceptional cases, in order not to leave evidence, and always encrypted.
Let us analyze the content of the transmitted information, the intensity of such communication, to whom it is sent, the attitude of adolescents and young people to received letters.
The study of secret correspondence on these parameters opens up great opportunities to study the laws of the criminal subculture, the underlying processes occurring in the criminal environment.
The content of the written message reflects the identity of the personality of the adolescent or young person, the level of his culture, character traits, attitude to crime and punishment, behavior motivation, spiritual needs and interests, etc.
Letters of teenagers and young offenders can be divided into business (14%), intimate (25%), family (17.4%), friendly (16.5%) and combined (26.7%).
Business correspondence helps to clarify the possibilities of changing one’s fate (reviewing a criminal case, applying to lawyers, etc.), and also aims to care for members of one’s family. Business letters are usually sent through legal channels (with the knowledge of the administration) to the address of officials and institutions, authorities (local and supreme).
In recent years, in connection with the democratization of society, the development of publicity, many letters from juvenile and young offenders have been received by the editorial offices of central and local press organs, as well as informal publications.
Business correspondence is distinguished by a certain amount of evidence, a detailed description of various circumstances, and the specificity of the requests being made. Many young convicts, for example, write about how, in their opinion, modern correctional labor colonies should be reformed, appealed to various public organizations (charity and health fund, association of prisoners, etc.).
And yet the most important place in the life of minors and young prisoners is intimate correspondence. She usually has love and sexual content. Its addressees are common people (female partners), friends of the opposite sex, partners and partners in homosexuality. These letters are more often sent through illegal channels, especially when it comes to engaging a correspondence partner in criminal activities. В интимной переписке преобладает стремление произвести как можно более хорошее впечатление на адресата, разжалобить его в расчете на получение посылок, передач, организацию тайной личной встречи или, наоборот, продемонстрировать свое мужество, благородство, несгибаемость и т.п. Переписка с лицами противоположного пола, заочное знакомство через отбывающих срок друзей (подруг), по портретам лиц противоположного пола, опубликованным в печати, по объявлениям о желании вступить в брак, как эпидемии, часто захватывают не только колонии, где содержатся взрослые преступники, но и подростковые исправительные учреждения.
Меньше засекречена семейная переписка, в которой осужденные стремятся проявить заботу об оставленных членах семьи (родителях, братьях, сестрах, дедушках и бабушках). Наученные горьким опытом подростки и молодежь порой учат своих младших братьев и сестер слушаться старших. Но чаще, к сожалению, бывает наоборот.
Семейные письма передаются по нелегальным каналам в тех случаях, когда они имеют криминальное содержание, когда в них говорится о нарушении режима или если они затрагивают слишком глубокий интимный пласт отношений людей. Письма к родственникам и членам семьи отличаются определенной недоговоренностью, поскольку те или иные подробности и обстоятельства уже известны адресату. Иногда они, наоборот, слишком подробны в расчете на жалость и сочувствие.
Для подростков и молодых правонарушителей большое значение имеет дружеская переписка с товарищами по месту жительства и учебы, а также с соучастниками прежних преступлений. Эта переписка ведется тайно, если в ней есть криминальное содержание, если она касается нарушений режима и других нарушений. В дружеской переписке происходит обмен мнениями о других членах группы и соучастниках; даются советы и наставления о том, как вести себя в случае, если друзьями заинтересуются правоохранительные органы; высказываются просьбы, советы о том, как укрыть и сохранить добытое преступным путем; как и по каким каналам пересылать деньги, наркотики и другие запрещенные предметы в исправительные учреждения.
Исследование показало, что каждое четвертое письмо, отправляемое тайным путем, содержит несколько аспектов: дружеский, интимный, криминальный. Классифицировать нелегальную переписку между подростками и молодыми людьми можно на основе анализа перехваченных оперативной и режимной службами писем, записок.

Таблица 9.2. Классификация и характеристика нелегальной переписки между осужденными в ИК (в процентах)

From table 9.2 it can be seen that illegal correspondence of only one direction (purely criminal, intimate, family or friendly) is rarely met, more often in letters various aspects of the life of a teenager and a young man are affected. So, in criminal correspondence, 1.7% of intimate problems; 4.1% are focused on violation of the regime; 4.2% are sharing information with friends.
Illegal correspondence between adolescents in special schools, other correctional institutions, and convicts in IC is carried out. This happens especially often if these institutions are located relatively close to each other or if members of one criminal group are separated. Particularly intense, as noted above, is the correspondence with persons of the opposite sex.
Interestingly, the content and direction of illegal correspondence is highly dependent on the period of stay in places of social exclusion. During the adaptation period, a person is still concerned about the problems of life in freedom, he is still in the grip of the past. Therefore, he often gives advice to friends, girl friend, accomplices, makes requests, threats, etc. In the main period of isolation, the sharpness of memories of past life decreases: friends appear in the "zone". In communication with them, the need for social contacts is satisfied. Before being released from a special school, being released from an IK, there are already other questions: how friends and acquaintances will meet in freedom, how life will go on.
The intensity of illegal correspondence in different periods is also unequal. Its "peaks" are distinguished: the adaptation period and the waiting period for release (release). However, the "peaks" of illegal communication are possible in the main period: when preparing to escape, increasing the influence of the criminal subculture, depending on the state of health, etc. It has been noticed, for example, that, being in the medical unit, where there is a lot of free time, adolescents and young people gladly indulge in the epistolary genre.
The content, focus and intensity of correspondence are significantly influenced by the gender and age of the adolescent or young person, the presence of parents (family), the strength of connections with them, etc. Thus, the letters of female persons are more intense and emotional.
Persons of different ages are concerned with various issues. The power of emotional appeal is also different. It's one thing to correspond with “swotting” (common girl), and quite another thing with “lichnukha”, the one that a teenager used alone and is jealous of everyone else. Here and the requirement of loyalty, the threat of massacre for treason, etc.
At times, adolescents and young people receive completely unexpected support in their letters. So, one girl says that in the remand prison she received unexpected support. She said: "Dad helps me. The bomber who sleeps next to me. He writes postcards. He supports morally and financially."
Adolescents and young people who intend to commit a crime or a violation of the regime are more prone to illegal communication. So, the teenager wrote to a friend from a special school so that he would look at a foreign car that could have been robbed. When he said that the object was picked up, O. made an unauthorized departure, stole a foreign radio tape recorder from a private car, brought it to school and sold it to the head of the workshops at meager cost.
Young and young offenders start searching for channels of illegal written communication from the first days of social isolation. Illegal ways are needed first of all in order to give a message about yourself, get advice about behavior at the trial and investigation, warn other accomplices, etc. Then, in the process of illegal communication, other goals and objectives arise, dictated by the position of the person in isolation.
Channels of secret written communication are individual (by agreement with the connected, referred to as "messengers") and group (used by many adolescents and young people with a password and paid through the "owner" of the channel). Before giving a young or young offender the opportunity to use the channel of secret correspondence, the "owner" (usually "godfather") checks the adolescent or young person for reliability. By the way, the threat to make it impossible to use the channels of secret communication is one of the means of extortion and extortion from the "authorities".
Thus, knowledge of the mechanisms of secret written communication helps:
understand the personality of a person in conditions of social isolation and its reaction to various prohibitions;
- to direct communication of adolescents through legal ways and use it for educational purposes;
- allows you to conduct preventive work in the criminal environment.
It should be borne in mind that through channels of secret correspondence most often prohibited items, primarily money, enter special schools and other educational and correctional institutions. At present, the penetration of money into places of isolation is becoming an epidemic.
The use of secret correspondence by criminal elements at large. The materials of numerous criminal cases show that criminals are trying to encrypt their criminal activities and being free. Most often it concerns notebooks, phone numbers and addresses of their friends, members of criminal groups.
Criminal information is being encrypted, sent by regular mail. Often letters are sent to a dummy address; symbols and nicknames are used to designate recipients.

Especially carefully, as we have noted, mafia and corrupt elements control their correspondence. They strive not to leave written testimonies, communicating everything to them orally. If you have to resort to a written message, the letters are immediately destroyed.
Particularly intense secret correspondence began with the transition to the market, the aspiration of the "shadow" businessmen there, racket rampant.