As we’ve discussed here frequently, it’s no secret that Ukraine has been running low on troops needed to continue fighting the Russian invasion. They’ve had far too many soldiers killed or captured and their recruiting efforts have produced lackluster results of late. If we needed any more evidence of this reality, the Ukrainian Parliament voted today to allow some convicts currently in prison to negotiate an early release if they agree to go serve on the front lines. Not everyone behind bars will be eligible, but those who are will be able to get out of jail, put on a uniform, and go face the Russians. Not everyone in the country is thrilled with the proposal, however. There are probably several good reasons for that. (Politico)
In an attempt to bolster troop ranks, the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday passed a bill on the voluntary mobilization of convicts for the country’s war with Russia.
However, those who committed serious crimes including murder, rape, terrorism, dealing drugs and treason, will be ineligible to trade their jail terms for the defense of their country.
So, what’s in it for the convicts? If they decide to mobilize, local courts may grant them conditional early release in exchange for their military service, on the basis of a contract.
It’s not as if a practice such as this is entirely unheard of. Here in the United States back during the Vietnam War and even up until the 80s, judges would sometimes offer defendants a choice between enlisting and going to jail. That practice has since been abandoned however, and none of the service branches accept recruits that are seeking to avoid jail time.
In Ukraine, convicts who were found guilty of “serious crimes” (murder, rape, terrorism, treason) will be ineligible for release under this program. But civilians convicted of lesser crimes will be eligible. It was further decided that MPs and some top government officials who have committed crimes would be ineligible. That was a major sticking point apparently because Ukraine has been famously dealing with a lot of corruption issues and many officials (including some of Zelensky’s political opponents) have been hauled off to prison. Perhaps it’s just me, but making them ineligible seems awfully… convenient.
It’s unclear how many people will be stepping forward to take advantage of this opportunity. I’m sure being stuck behind bars is no fun, but being sent to the front lines is no picnic either. At least in prison, there is a fairly good chance you will survive unless the Russians decide to bomb that particular facility. The prisoners are likely aware of how many of their former compatriots wound up coming home in body bags. And part of the arrangement if they do take the deal states that anyone who enlists will have to serve “until Kyiv announces demobilization.” At the pace things are going currently, that could be a very long stretch of fighting.
One of the major drawbacks of a system like this is the question of the motivation of the new recruits. Particularly in countries with a volunteer military like the United States, you anticipate recruiting people who are highly motivated to serve and are literally willing to put their lives on the line for their country. Someone who signs up just to get out of jail may be far less motivated. When soldiers are on the front line and the bullets and rockets are flying, they want to know that the guy next to them in the trench has their back. Someone who has been locked up for robbery or corruption likely will not inspire that sort of confidence. I continue to wish Ukraine the best in its efforts, but it seems like they should be far more focused on finding a path to a negotiated peace agreement than a scheme like this.