Kresti Prison in Sankt Petersburg is more than 120 years old.
Now the old and derelict building houses 7.500 inmates. More than 1.000
of them suffer from tuberculosis and 1.400 are HIV infected. Two separate
departments house 450 prisoners with mental problems. The tremendous
overpopulation reduces living space to 1 square meter. Awaiting trial, prisoners are forced to remain in these extreme conditions
for years on end.
During
2002 and 2003, with financial support of the Open Society Institute, Global
Initiative on Psychiatry developed a project to upgrade psychiatric services
in the Kresti Prison. To record the initial living conditions this video was
made.