Over 2,000 convicts sent back to prisons in Kazakhstan

Tengrinews.kz – Courts in Kazakhstan have issued rulings to return over 2,000 convicts to prison colonies within the first eight months of 2025, according to the General Prosecutor's Office. These individuals had been under probation supervision but were sent back due to systematic violations of the rules and conditions of their sentences.

Why are convicts sent back

According to the law, two disciplinary violations or one serious offense are grounds for probation services to request the replacement of a non-custodial sentence with imprisonment.

Violations include:

• Minor hooliganism;
• Disturbing the peace;
• Appearing in public while intoxicated;
• Other similar offenses.

“In the first eight months of 2025, courts issued 2,354 decisions to replace non-custodial sentences with imprisonment based on submissions from probation services,” the General Prosecutor's Office reported.

For example, a resident of Karasai district, who had been sentenced to 3 years and 2 months of restricted freedom, violated public order six times in less than a month. The court sent her to serve the remainder of her sentence in a colony.

Digital surveillance in action

To monitor the behavior of people under probation, the government is using a system called "Digital Supervision".

This project includes the use of smart cameras in public spaces.

During summer 2025, these cameras recorded 209 violations committed by 92 convicts.
Most common violations included:

• Leaving the house during curfew hours;
• Visiting prohibited locations;
• Unauthorized travel outside of their district.

As a result:

• Two offenders had their punishment replaced with imprisonment;
• Others received official warnings.

Amnesty in Kazakhstan

It’s worth noting that on June 23, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared an amnesty in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Constitution, affecting over 15,000 convicts.

Those eligible for amnesty include:

• Individuals who committed criminal misdemeanors or minor offenses;
• Convicts found guilty of medium-severity crimes without damage or where full restitution was made;
• Members of socially vulnerable groups.

However, the amnesty does not apply to those convicted of:

• Corruption;
• Terrorism or extremism;
• Crimes against the sexual integrity of minors;
• Other serious offenses.