Want a nicer jail cell? That'll be $72

For $72 a day, Ukrainian detainees can now upgrade to a cell with modern conveniences like air conditioning and a microwave.

This isn't a joke. Sort of. Ukrainians in pre-trial detention can now do this under a government initiative, but it's aimed as much at pranksters as real-life detainees.

Ukraine's justice minister, Denys Maliuska:

"We do not expect that most of these certificates will be used by people who were detained for real in pre-trial detention facilities. It is more (a way) of mocking, trolling for those who want to troll someone, for example, a former official, current official or simply a businessman who uses gray and black schemes for tax evasion. The variety of 'customers' is wide."

So the vouchers could be bought by detainees or as a joke gift for officials suspected of corruption.

A 2019 U.S. government report described Ukraine's prison and detention conditions as "poor ... and at times posed a serious threat to the life and health of prisoners."

The voucher program has received some criticism.

The head of Amnesty International Ukraine, Oksana Pokalchuk, said justice should not be "commercialized," adding that, "Authorities are obliged to secure human rights for all and everyone regardless of whether a person can pay for such services or not."

The vouchers, which are valid for six months are an extension of a scheme introduced in May that has funded the renovation of cells at Kyiv's pre-trial detention center.

For detainees like Danil, the renovations were desperately needed.

"There was fungus here. The toilet was not convenient at all. It was dark in the cell. Thank God the administration renovated it. And I will tell you that it became more or less good. It is a pleasure for a detainee to go and use the bathroom. It's the small things that matter. Here is the table. There is more space now."