A corrective labor colony (Russian: Исправительно-трудовая колония, ИТК, ispravitelno-trudovaya koloniya, ITK) is a penal establishment in the Soviet Union and in modern Russia and some post-Soviet states which combines penal detention with forced labor.[1][2] The system of colonies was introduced as a post-Stalin replacement of the GULAG labor camp system.
In the late Soviet Union the labor colonies were governed by Article 11 of the Corrective Labor Law and were intended for adult (16 years and over) convicts. The colonies were classified according to the regimen of severity: colonies of ordinary, reinforced, strict, and special regimens (колонии общего, усиленного, строгого, особого режимов), as well as the colony-settlements (колонии-поселения). Only ordinary and strict regimens (and colony-settlements) were provided for female convicts.[1][2]
Colony-settlements were establishments introduced in 1960s for convicts with good behavior who served at least half of the term for those eligible for the parole and who served two thirds of the term and not eligible for parole. The inmates are without guard, but under observation and may move relatively freely. They may also have family.[3]