Abstract
<jats:p>The article addresses the urgent problem of corruption prevention in the activities of the State Criminal Executive Service (SCES) of Ukraine. It is stated that under the conditions of European integration and martial law, traditional administrative and punitive methods of fighting corruption have exhausted their effectiveness. This necessitates the search for new tools aimed at changing the value orientations of staff and forming a rejection of corruption at the mental level. The aim of the study is to determine, classify, and scientifically substantiate effective mechanisms for forming integrity and anti-corruption culture among SCES staff based on the analysis of empirical barriers and considering modern global practices. The study is based on the analysis of empirical survey results, which revealed critical obstacles to integrity. It was established that the dominant factors of corruption risks are economic pressure (95.5% of respondents cite low salaries as a cause of corruption) and psychological barriers (fear of exposure and distrust in the protection system – willingness to report violations is only 15–20%). The necessity of a strategic shift from the compliance model (formal adherence to rules under the threat of punishment) to the integrity-based model, which relies on internal moral convictions, is substantiated. A comprehensive system of mechanisms for forming anti-corruption culture is proposed, including: 1) educational-training component (learning based on ethical dilemmas); 2) institutional component (creation of independent reporting channels and real protection of whistleblowers); 3) psychological component (staff support and development of ethical leadership). It is proven that the formation of integrity is not only a legal but also a managerial and pedagogical task, and the implementation of the proposed mechanisms will contribute to increasing institutional trust and strengthening the human potential of the penitentiary system. Key words: integrity, anti-corruption culture, SCES of Ukraine, integrity-based model, whistleblowers, professional training, penitentiary staff.</jats:p>