Abstract
<jats:p>The research aims to assess the compatibility of the theoretical and practical aspects of penitentiary policy in Soviet Russia between 1918 and 1922, using the Tambov Province as a case study. The article analyzes the formation and development of the Soviet correctional-labor system during the 1920s in the Tambov Province in comparison with the theoretical research published in legal periodicals of that time. The scientific novelty of the study lies in a historical-comparative analysis of legal ideas and judicial practice in the field of Soviet penitentiary policy during the specified period, identifying the primary directions in the development of the correctional-labor system. The results of the study demonstrate that despite an ideological rejection of pre-revolutionary experience, Soviet correctional-labor policy in practice maintained a degree of continuity and faced persistent problems. This underscores the necessity of eliminating legal illiteracy and the importance of professional discourse on these issues for the construction of an effective penitentiary system.</jats:p>