Use of Specialized Knowledge in Investigation of Crimes Committed in the Penitentiary Institutions

Abstract

The article tackles several important issues concerning the crimes committed in the penitentiary institutions. The emphasis is laid on the definition of the notion «specialized knowledge» applicable in the investigation of crimes committed in the penitentiary institutions. The author describes the main types of such knowledge and suggests effective ways of improving the tactics of its application in conducting certain criminological expertise. The author concludes that the notion «specialized knowledge» is rather controversial. One of the reasons is lack of a legislative definition of the concept under discussion.Legislator only specifies the purpose and subject of the use of specialized knowledge. In author’s opinion in the course of investigation of crimes committed in the penitentiaries «specialized knowledge» is used in two forms: procedural and non-procedural. The main aim of application of specialized knowledge in both procedural and non-procedural form is receiving from an expert criminalistically meaningful information on time, allowing to choose the sequence, time and place of conducting overt and covert investigation, select the participants, scientific and technical aid, to choose tactical methods and be properly oriented in the situation.