"Russian penal colonies hold 115,900 convicts sentenced for murder, 91,500 - for grievous bodily harm, 21,800 - for rape, 85,500 - armed robberies, 59,500 - for other robberies and 1,700 - for gang activity," Yury Kalinin said.
He said the number of severe crimes had increased by more than 5% in the last two years.
Russian Deputy Prosecutor General Sergei Fridinsky criticized the work of the penitentiary service Friday, saying that the service does not properly follow the prosecutor's office verbal guidelines on the violation of convicts' rights.
"Unfortunately, the General Prosecutor's Office cannot yet positively evaluate the implementation of the prosecutors' remarks," Fridinsky said.
He said that those who violated the rights of convicts were not always subject to disciplinary action.
The Russian Minister of Justice Yury Chaika said 36 staff members of the Russian Penitentiary Service were convicted of crimes in 2005.
"More than 5,000 cases were introduced, more than 3,000 staffers of the penitentiary service were brought to disciplinary penalties and 36 were convicted of crimes," Chaika said.
