Muslim Prisoners' Experiences

hivizman

A report released today in the UK by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (Dame Anne Owers), under the title Muslim Prisoners' Experiences: A Thematic Review, has attracted wide press coverage, including a page 1 article in The Times. The full report can be downloaded from this link.

Press comment has tended to focus on the suggestion that some prisoners are converting to Islam in prison in order to receive "perks", such as halal food (considered to be better than normal prison food) and the opportunity of greater association with other prisoners (and time off work) for Friday prayer. Also, the press has suggested that some prisoners are intimidated into conversion by "muslim gangs" that are claimed to dominate certain prisons.

The report states that these claims tended to come from prison staff, and were not significantly supported in the interviews and survey of prisoners that the researchers preparing the report carried out. The researchers found that prisoners converted to Islam almost always for what the report describes as "positive" reasons. Many converts find that Islam provides, through prayer, fasting and other activities (such as reading the Qur'an), structure and a calming influence in their lives, and provides perspective on their time in prison. Others find support from other Muslim prisoners - Islam is seen as providing a more cohesive identity than other religions active in prisons. A few prisoners appreciate the additional benefits of better food and more time out of cell, but those who mentioned this often pointed out that, while the benefits were an initial trigger for conversion, subsequent practice of prayer and greater knowledge of Islam enhanced sincerity of belief.

The overall conclusion of the report is that the Prison Service in the UK runs the risk of perceiving the growth in the number of Muslims in British prisons (the report suggests that about 12% of the male prison population is Muslim, against around 3% in the overall population) as exacerbating security issues. However, as the report recommends: "It is essential that the National Offender Management Service develops a strategy, with support and training, for effective staff engagement with Muslims as individual prisoners with specific risks and needs, rather than as part of a separate and troubling group. Without that, there is a real risk of a self-fulfilling prophecy: that the prison experience will create or entrench alienation and disaffection, so that prisons release into the community young men who are more likely to offend, or even embrace extremism."

goose2005

People have often converted to other religions for opportunistic reasons. I've heard of American prisoners claiming to be Jewish because the kosher food is better than the standard slop.

hivizman

goose2005 wrote: »

People have often converted to other religions for opportunistic reasons. I've heard of American prisoners claiming to be Jewish because the kosher food is better than the standard slop.

The interesting point from the report was that at least some of the prisoners who converted to Islam for opportunistic reasons stuck with the religion. The researchers didn't survey released prisoners, so we don't know whether these converts stayed with Islam after their release. Probably some did and others didn't.

It reminds me of parents in England who claim to be Christians (usually Church of England or Roman Catholic) to help their children get into church-sponsored schools - some of them just go through the motions and stop attending church when the kids are in the desired school, but others stick with the religion.

Perhaps regular Muslim posters could comment on whether, if someone becomes a Muslim for opportunistic reasons, but goes on to observe the requirements for prayer, zakah, fasting and hajj, the conversion actually counts.