Separate radical Muslim prisoners to stop violence in Britain’s jails

Islamist extremists successful jails should beryllium segregated from different prisoners, a starring counter-extremism adept has said.

In an nonfiction for The Telegraph, Ghaffar Hussain, a erstwhile serviceman successful the Government’s Prevent counter-terrorism programme, said the UK should travel the illustration of countries specified arsenic France, Spain and Holland, wherever extremist prisoners were often separated from the wide situation population.

His comments travel successful the aftermath of a violent attack connected officers by the member of the Manchester Arena bomber.

There are 3 “separation units” successful jails successful England and Wales, including 1 astatine the high-security HMP Frankland jailhouse successful region Durham, wherever Hashem Abedi, the Manchester weaponry plotter, attacked 3 officers with 2 home-made knives and boiling cooking oil.

However, Mr Hussain said the units designed to isolate the astir unsafe extremists were being under-used – two, including HMP Frankland, are presently retired of committee – which “raises concerns astir the system’s capableness to negociate the expanding fig of violent inmates”.

This play it emerged that Axel Rudakubana, the Southport killer, had allegedly thrown boiling h2o implicit an serviceman astatine HMP Belmarsh connected Thursday. The alleged onslaught is being investigated by police.

“Without broad reforms, including enhanced unit training, amended assets allocation, and a deeper knowing of extremist ideologies, the situation strategy volition proceed to autumn abbreviated successful its efforts to de-radicalise extremists,” said Mr Hussain.

“The UK’s attack contrasts with strategies employed successful different European countries. In the Netherlands, Spain and France, extremist prisoners are often segregated from the wide population, preventing them from influencing different inmates.

“These countries person reported improved situation information and much effectual targeting of counter-radicalisation interventions. For example, France has established specializer units wrong high-security prisons to measure and rehabilitate radicalised offenders, followed by continued enactment post-release.”

Mr Hussain said Britain’s prisons risked not lone being ineffective successful rehabilitating extremists but could besides beryllium contributing to the dispersed of extremist ideologies by failing to abstracted Islamists.

He said the onslaught by Abedi was a “glaring reminder” of the menace from extremists wrong and extracurricular prisons. “It besides shows however our situation strategy is allowing extremist ideologies to fester and grow, truthful they tin past spill backmost retired onto our streets,” helium said.

“Reports person said that situation unit often deficiency the grooming and assurance to separate betwixt genuine spiritual practices and extremist behaviour. This uncertainty tin pb to either overreaction or, much commonly, inaction.

“Overcrowding, understaffing, and the resulting accent make an situation wherever extremist ideologies tin thrive. Islamist gangs exploit these conditions, offering extortion and a consciousness of belonging to susceptible inmates.

“The emergence successful Muslim inmate numbers, driven by some sentencing and conversions, has been linked to the power of these gangs. The erosion of authorization wrong prisons allows these groups to enforce their ain rules, sometimes done makeshift Sharia courts.

“Staff intimidation and corruption marque the occupation worse, with immoderate wardens bribed to smuggle contraband oregon place amerciable behaviour.”

Britain’s prisons are failing to de-radicalise and fuelling extremism

Our prisons are incubators of extremism and terrorism. The brutal onslaught by Hashem Abedi, the member of the Manchester Arena bomber, connected situation officers astatine HMP Frankland is simply a glaring reminder of the menace we look from extremists wrong and extracurricular our prisons, writes Ghaffar Hussain.

It besides shows however our situation strategy is allowing extremist ideologies to fester and grow, truthful they tin past spill backmost retired connected to our streets.

The onslaught is not an isolated case. In 2019, Usman Khan, a convicted weaponry plotter, knifed 2 young radical to decease astatine Fishmongers’ Hall successful London soon aft his release.

Similarly, Sudesh Amman, released successful aboriginal 2020, injured 2 individuals successful a stabbing spree successful Streatham earlier being changeable dormant by police. These incidents underscore a troubling signifier – the UK’s situation strategy is failing to de-radicalise extremist offenders and, successful immoderate cases, whitethorn beryllium exacerbating the problem.

There is simply a existent deficiency of expertise successful prisons connected however to antagonistic extremist ideologies. Without a wide grasp of the motivations driving radicalisation, immoderate attempted interventions often miss the mark. For instance, the flagship authorities Healthy Identity Intervention programme, designed to code extremist beliefs, has been wide derided for its ineffectiveness.

Reports person said that situation unit often deficiency the grooming and assurance to separate betwixt genuine spiritual practices and extremist behaviour. This uncertainty tin pb to either overreaction or, much commonly, inaction.

Ian Acheson, a erstwhile situation politician who led a 2016 reappraisal into Islamist extremism successful prisons, highlighted this issue, stating that determination was an “institutional timidity” and an unwillingness to face the occupation directly. He noted that the situation work had been “asleep for the past six years” successful knowing the quality and grade of this problem.

Environment wherever radicalism tin thrive

Mr Acheson’s reappraisal made 69 recommendations, but these were “conflated” into 11 successful the authoritative response, with immoderate cardinal suggestions rejected oregon lone partially implemented.

For instance, his connection to prohibition attendance astatine Friday prayers for those who disrupt oregon maltreatment religion enactment was dismissed, with officials citing existing powers for governors. Moreover, the process of referring prisoners to separation centres designed to isolate radicalisers is presently underused with lone a fraction of the disposable places successful these centres being occupied.

Overcrowding, understaffing, and the resulting accent make an situation wherever extremist ideologies tin thrive. Islamist gangs exploit these conditions, offering extortion and a consciousness of belonging to susceptible inmates.

The emergence successful Muslim inmate numbers, driven by some sentencing and conversions, has been linked to the power of these gangs. The erosion of authorization wrong prisons allows these groups to enforce their ain rules, sometimes done makeshift Sharia courts.

Staff intimidation and corruption marque the occupation worse, with immoderate wardens bribed to smuggle contraband oregon place amerciable behaviour.

The UK’s attack contrasts with strategies employed successful different European countries. In the Netherlands, Spain and France, extremist prisoners are often segregated from the wide population, preventing them from influencing different inmates. These countries person reported improved situation information and much effectual targeting of counter-radicalisation interventions.

For example, France has established specializer units wrong high-security prisons to measure and rehabilitate radicalised offenders, followed by continued enactment post-release.

In effect to the increasing threat, the UK has implemented separation centres wrong definite prisons to isolate the astir unsafe extremists. However, lone 1 specified centre remains operational, raising concerns astir the system’s capableness to negociate the expanding fig of violent inmates.

Without broad reforms, including enhanced unit training, amended assets allocation, and a deeper knowing of extremist ideologies, the situation strategy volition proceed to autumn abbreviated successful its efforts to de-radicalise extremists.

So our prisons hazard remaining not conscionable ineffective successful rehabilitating extremists but whitethorn besides lend to the dispersed of extremist ideologies. As Ian Acheson aptly stated: “Broken unit cannot assistance hole breached people.”

Ghaffar Hussain is simply a counter-extremism idiosyncratic and erstwhile Prevent officer

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