OPAVA PRISON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A003601150010-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 25, 2002
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: March 11, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY Czechoslovakia
SUBJECT Opave. Prison
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This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
REPORT NO.
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT NO.
REFERENCES
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11 March 1954
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1. The Opa7a Prison is located directly behind the court building in Opava and
25X1 is bordered by Olomou a Stn, Lidicka St, and two other streets
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2. The larger part of the installation is surrounded a wall five m. high, but
part of the buildings of the prison and the court extend to the streets. The
individual gardens and courtyards are separated by the same wall. On the Li-
dicka St. side, there is a garden in front of the prison building.
3. ThA entrance is on Lidicka St.,- however, the prison can also be entered frcm
the court building through a trellised door. The only vehicle entrance is
located on Olomoucka St. between the court building and the prison workshops.
The prison building and the warehouse are two-storied.
4. The prison has cells for solitary confinement and larger ones for more than one
prisoner. The total number of cells was unknown
a. The size of the solitary confinement cells is about 4 by 2.5 by 3.8 meters.
The single-pane window has a site of about 40 by 120 am. and is about 2.5
meters above the floor. On the outside it is barred. The individual bars -
there are about eight - are four-cornered, about 18 by, 18 mm. thick, and are
fixed in the wall vertically. They are reinforced with about two double
rows of flat pieces of iron, one on the outside and the other on the inside,
which are fastened horizontally with rivets. The wooden door is covered
with sheet iron. Its size is about 110 by 200 cm. Although the door has
a handle, the look can only be opened with a key after it has been closed.
There probably are horizontal bolts at the top and bottom of the door.
There is a peephole and, a small trap window in the door. The cell is fur-
nished with two beds - one of which can be folded - one table, two stools,
one wash table with basin, toilet (a frame with a. pail), one wall chest
for toilet articles and one water jug. The only lamp is fastened directly
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to the ceiling. The inventory, a list of the goods which the prisoners
are permitted to have purchased for them, and a booklet with the prison
regulations are hanging on the wall.
5
b. The size of the large cells is about 6 by 6 by 3.8 meters. About 1.5
meters frogs. the floor there are two windows 100 by 180 cm. large.
windows are barred in the same manner as those of the solitary cells,
The door is the same,
only there are three rows of.flat pieces of iron,
only there is no trap window. The cell is furnished with 10 beds, one
table, two benches, 10 small chests (one above each bed) for toilet arti-
cles, etc., one wash table with basin dandeoneswater jug. booklet in the the
solitary cells, there is one lamp,
prison regulations are fastened to the wall.
The prison routine was as follows:
5.
6 a.m.
11:30 - 11::50 a.m.
Reveille (a bell was rung), cleaning
the cells, emptying the pails, rollcall
in the cells, breakfast
Start of work, which lasted until 3030
p,m, (only part of the prisoners had
to work)
Lunch hour; the prisoners not working
ate in their cells
3030 p.m. Return to the cells, supper, emptying
pails
4 - 4030 p.m. Roll(*1l in the cells, locking of the
d the cells were
9 P.M.
cells; on Satur aye
locked at 1 p.m.
Bedtime (a bell was rung); in winter,
curfew was at 8 p.m.
a. Rollcall in the cells was conducted as follows. All inmates had to line
up, with the senior ("starsi") at the head of the line. When the super-
visor, or chief of the ward, opened the door he said "Good day", whereupon
the senior inmate called: "Attention, Cell X (giving the appropriate num-
ber), X men (giving the appropriate number of inmates), everything in
order;" The supervisor replied "Thank you". In case one of the inmates
was sick or wanted to attend the "big" rollcall, the supervisor onotedsit
down in his service book which either
accompanied him rcerri d.; (The supervisor
for certain tasks), who usually
was always armed with a pistol during rollcalls.
b. The food was always distributed by the "chodbar". The cell doors were
unlocked during the distribution and the bowls were returned after the
meals.
c. The pails were usually emptied by the "chodbar".
6. Every grona.the "cein the stn room
o
on the grouand floor. For this rollcall, the prisoners reporting had to line
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up by wards in the ground floor hallway. They were admitted to the reception
room individually, where two wardens (only on office duty) listened to their
wishes. Questions of the prisoners were mostly answered by the wardens right
away. The director of the prison never attended these rollealla.
The inmates of a cell had to wash the floor once a week. No certain day was
set aside for this work.
Approximately 20 prisoners were selected for work every day. However, volun-
teers were accepted, too. The prisoners were assigned to work in the prison
workshops and to "brigades" on SZDs or elsewhere. The prisoners on outside
work details were guarded by one guard armed with a pistol and a submachine
gun for each group of eight prisoners. People arrested after 191+8 for politi-
cal reasons were permitted to work only in their cells, where they pasted paper
bags. Once or twice, such prisoners were taken out in the fall during the
potato harvest. Very rarely, specialists were assigned to work inside the
prison. The prisoners were paid for their work. A prisoner exceeding his
work quota received 20 or 30% of his earnings. For making paper bags, 40 Kos.
were paid daily. The prisoners not working also received one to two Kcs. per
day for postage, etc.
9. Smoking in the cell was permitted during the day, but sitting or lying on the
bed was forbidden. An exception was made if the doctor ordered a sick man to
stay in bed.
10. At irregular tfines, but once a day, all prisoners were led to the garden, where
they could walk around in a set circle for one hour. During the walk the pri-
soners were watched by two guards who were posted opposite each other, one on
each side of the circle. The famnal.e prisoners took their walks in another
garden. On Sundays, the prisoners were not taken out for a walk.
11. The prisoners were divided into four disciplinary classes:
a. Class I: the worst. These prisoners were each permitted to write and re-
ceive one letter every two months. They were permitted to have visitors
only every two months. They had less money than the members of Class II.
Their heads were shaved. They had to sit behind a wire mesh barrier when
talking to their visitors.
b. Class II. The members of this class wore their hair cropped to a length
of three cm. They were permitted to write and receive visitors every four
weeks. They were permitted to spend 50 Kos. for additional food and 90
Kcs. for tobacco goods per month.
c. Class III. The members of this class were permitted to write and receive
visitors every three weeks. They had 70 Kos. for additional food allotted
to them per month. They were permitted to have their own books, but had to
leave theme behind upon their release. When talking to visitors, they were
placed behind a wall about one meter high.
d. Class IV. Members of this class were permitted to write and receive visi-
tors every two weeks. In addition to being allowed to wear their hair as
long as they wished,? they were also allowed to wear mustaches-and were
permitted to own musical instruments. Everything else was the same as for
Class III.
12. Each new arrival started in Class I and was prcmoted to the higher classes in
accordance with his conduct and work performance.
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13. The total number of prisoners fluctuated between 150 and 300; approximately 45
of them were women. The majority of the immates were sick and weak and had
been transferred to this prison from other prisons. Since about 1951, new pri-
soners had been delivered to Opava only in small groups and during the night.
Upon arrival, each prisoner received a prison suit (mud color), a cap (recently,
peaked caps were also issued), a set of underwear, one pair of shoes, one pair
of foot bandages (rags), one handkerchief, one towel, one bed sheet, one pillow-
case., two blankets, one spoon of light metal and two plastic mugs. The under-
wear was changed every Friday - sometimes on Saturdays.
14. There were approximately 20 male supervisors and one female. About two men and
two women were permanently assigned to office duty. All of them wore green
uniforms. The violet facings were replaced by red ones in 1952 or 1953.
15. Packages sent to the prisoners could not weigh more than 22 kg. Exceptions
were made, however, and based upon special work performance a prisoner might
be granted permission to receive a parcel of three or even five kg. Of the
contents, meat, bacon, fat, butter, alcoholic beverages, glass, tin, cigarettes
and matches were Impounded. The prisoners were entitled, however, to decide
to whom these items were to be sent. Random checks were made on cake or bread
by cutting it,
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xxx Fence
o Lampposts
x Sentry Posts
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Opava Prison
(Not to scale)
J
Residences
f
Moloupta:1, Street
Trolley bus to Railroad Station
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