Reports detailing alleged forced conversions of prisoners to Islam by radical Muslim inmates in the United Kingdom have raised alarms about national security risks and extremist influence within the prison system. British media outlets reported this week that Islamist gangs are allegedly compelling other prisoners, predominantly white British men, to convert to Islam as a means of ensuring their safety.
Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary for the opposition Conservative party, has urged the current Labour government to investigate and address the issue. "Islamist gangs control many of our prisons," Timothy posted on X on Tuesday. "Conversion to Islam is the only way to stay safe from them." He cited data indicating that approximately 1 in 5 Muslim prisoners are white, a proportion four times higher than in the general population. Timothy told The U.K.'s Daily Telegraph that experts have repeatedly warned about forced conversions occurring behind bars and stressed the need for honesty about the situation.
The U.K. Ministry of Justice acknowledged reports of religiously motivated coercion but stated that most prisons show no evidence of gang-based extremism. The ministry also confirmed that terrorist prisoners have been banned from holding positions of authority in corporate worship and that measures have been taken to control extremist material found in prisons.
Nile Gardiner, Director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, described the situation as an "outrageous state of affairs" that poses a significant national security risk. Gardiner suggested that the British government appears to have lost control of its prisons, which he characterized as "jihadist training camps." He attributed the growing trend to the U.K.'s immigration policy, noting that the number of Muslim prisoners in England and Wales accounts for nearly 18% of the prison population, despite Muslims making up only 6.5% of the general populace. Gardiner asserted that large-scale Islamic migration into the U.K. has a direct impact on crime and public safety and presents immense risks to British national security.
Jonathan Hall, the British government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, noted in his 2022 report "Terrorism in Prisons" that Islamist terrorists are acting as "self-styled emirs" and exerting controlling and radicalizing influence over the broader Muslim prison population. Hall's report documented recruitment tactics, including the use of guidance, shared food, or gifts, and conversion backed by violence or the threat of it. He also noted instances where lower-status prisoners were solicited for menial tasks like cell cleaning.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice stated that "intimation, gang activity or faith-based coercion of any kind" is not tolerated in prisons. The spokesperson added that prisons and staff act swiftly to address threatening behavior and that forced religious conversions are not permitted. Following a review prompted by Hall's report, the Ministry of Justice stated that improvements have been made in identifying and disrupting nascent extremist gang activity through enhanced training and data collection.
An independent review by government advisor Colin Bloom, examining the government's engagement with faith, indicated that prisoners who did not identify as Muslim were often denied protection from dominant Muslim gangs or subjected to violence and intimidation. Bloom's review also noted aggressive encouragement of conversions to Islam in some prisons, with reports of inmates being presented with Korans and told to convert or face harm.
Bloom commented that prisons are more religious environments than wider society, with a higher proportion of individuals having a faith. He expressed surprise at the significant number of conversions, particularly to Islam, that defy conventional logic. Bloom suggested that prison chaplains and management need to maintain an "inquiring mind" to assess such situations.
Rep. Brandon Gill, a member of the House Oversight Committee, has also spoken out against what he described as a cover-up of alleged grooming gang crimes, primarily involving Muslim immigrants targeting British children. Gill emphasized the need for honesty regarding cultural incompatibilities, particularly concerning the dignity of women.