ng those who refuse to mandatory join the army, and for torture and ill-treatment by law enforcement officials. They say prison conditions are inhumane. Russian prisons are grossly overcrowded and thousands of prisoners have no individual bed. They have to sleep in shifts, often without bedding. Many cells are filthy and pest-ridden, with inadequate light and ventilation. Food and medical supplies are frequently inadequate. The insanitary conditions mean that illness spreads rapidly. Lung, circulatory and skin diseases, especially tuberculosis and scabies, are widespread. Mental illness is also common. In July 1995, 11 prisoners died of heatstroke in an overcrowded prison in Novokuznetzk, Kemerovo region. Up to 25 people were being held in cells meant for 10 and the aid temperature rose as high as 123 degrees. An attempted mass suicide had occurred at the jail in the previous year in response to fierce beatings taking place there. In February 1996, when Russia acceded to the Council of Europe, it committed to suspend all executions pending the full abolition of the death penalty within three years. The executions continue. Russia has one of the highest execution rates in the world. The Christian Science Monitor calls jail life in Latin America revolting. In April 1997, there was a riot in a prison in Bogota, Columbia. The spotlight on the riot revealed that more than 2,000 inmates in Bogota's El Modelo prison have no beds, often sleeping in hallways. Some cells built for two people contain up to 10. In one cellblock, 600 inmates share one shower and two toilets. Contrarily, drug-trafficker's cells are neat and clean. Usually, they have a cell with a bathroom to themselves, free use of telephones, access to luxury goods, food, and drugs. Due to the close contact with underpaid guards, almost anything becomes permissible with a high-enough bribe. The prisoners give the guards a choice to ...
