The abbreviation GSIN, which is derived from its Russian name, is also used in conjunction, and is not to be confused with Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN).
After the war from 1954 to 1969, the system was brought under the charge of the General Directorate of the Places of Detention under the Ministry of Public Order and Protection.
Furthermore local third party watchdog group, the Ombudsman (Омбудсмени),[9] have been invited to review and recommend actions to be taken in light of reforms happening in the service.
The penitentiary service has reached out to several international organisations to seek assistance in improving the conditions of its institutions as well as its staff.
These include the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)[10] as well as several non-governmental organisations like Doctors Without Borders, International Committee of the Red Cross, and Soros Foundation.
[11] These organisations have assisted the penitentiary service in numerous ways including providing funds for the upgrading of aging infrastructure, training of its staff,[12] or monitoring as a third party watchdog of the conditions of prisoners held within the institutions.