Islamic extremism is infesting British prisons, and often goes unchallenged thanks to a culture of political correctness, a Government report has warned.
A review of prison extremism for the Ministry of Justice was concluded that “cultural sensitivity” and “fear of being labelled racist” led to a soft-touch approach when dealing with potential extremists.
It will fuel fears that Britain’s prisons are functioning as an incubator for radical terrorism by putting large numbers of would-be radicals together in one place.
The document, partially published today, said prison supervisors would often leave the room during group prayers – providing a forum for radicalisation – because of cultural pressure:
They would at times also succumb to demands not to search prisoners who claimed they were protected by their “religious dress”.
Other examples included letting unacceptable literature into prisons because it was deemed religious, and giving extremists the chance to communicate with the outside world through letters to their legal advisers, which prison staff do not routinely read.
The review was carried out by former prison governor Ian Acheson. A full version was given to the Justice Secretary in March, but was deemed too sensitive to publish in full.
A summary version of the classified report was made public today, along with commitments by the government to roll out “jihadi wings” to isolate the worst offenders.
