Penitentiary system of Kyrgyzstan is a small part of the heritage, totalitarian penitentiary system of
the USSR. From the moment of Kyrgyzstan's independence, the penitentiary system of Kyrgyzstan
faces some difficulties but now it’s in the phase of development. The paper presents an overview of
the current state of the prison system, such as management structure, prison staff, criminal subculture,
prison conditions in the period of transformation.