Journal attacked over terrorists in jails claims

Former prisoner Danny Afzal, who works as a researcher for the Prison Reform Trust, hit out at the Royal United Services Institute journal after it published a report warning that prisons are radicalisation Muslims.

It stated that Britain has more to fear than any other Western country from home-grown terrorists.

According to its estimates, one in 10 Muslim prisoners in high security jails across England and Wales are "successfully targeted" by radical jihadists.

"Perhaps 800 potentially violent radicals, not previously guilty of terrorism charges, will be back in society over the coming five to 10 years," the journal said.

It warned against British "public complacency" and stoked fears that the possibility of terrorist attacks hangs over all major sporting events including the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Mr Afzal rubbished the report and warned that it would create major tensions inside and out of prisons.

He said: "I'm very disappointed by this scaremongering report. All the hard work to improve faith relations inside and out of prison are severely jeopardised by reports such as this.

"When so-called experts publish these misleading figures they never think of the consequences for Muslims and their families, who will be isolated as a result.

"The report is based on unreliable secondary evidence.

"I've visited prisons first hand and spoken to enough Muslims there to know that the report's 'facts' are unfounded."

He added that decent resettlement will prevent future acts of terrorism.

Civil rights group Liberty policy director Isabella Sankey said: "What is crucial is society's response. Terrorism feeds on fear, division and disenchantment."

The government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation Lord Carlile said the issue is more about crime than Islam and Muslims.

"We should not be surprised that when we send very young men to prison, particularly for short prison sentences, they become targets for greater crime," he said.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman also questioned the report's facts and said it did not recognise the figure of 800 "violent radicals" and did not agree that jihadist radicalisation was taking place at a rapid rate.