Tackling extremism

Friday, 05 May, 2017

Dangerous extremists will be separated from the mainstream prison population and placed into specialist centres, under new rules published 21 April 2017 by Prisons Minister Sam Gyimah.

Three separation centres are being created and will form part of the wider government strategy to tackle extremism in prisons, holding up to 28 of the most subversive offenders, preventing their influence over others.

An amendment to prison rules laid before Parliament means prisoners can be placed in a separation centre if they are involved in planning terrorism or are considered to pose a risk to national security.

Those who are spreading views that might encourage or influence others to commit terrorism crimes, or anyone whose views are being used in a way which undermines good order and security in prisons, may also be placed in one of the centres.

A prisoner will be considered for one of the centres if their behaviour behind bars meets one of the criteria included in the new prison rule and the level of risk they present can only be managed through separation. The introduction of the centres was one of the principal recommendations of a government commissioned independent review into extremism in prisons. The vast majority of the recommendations are being implemented.

The centres form part of the wider strategy to tackle extremism, which includes:

  • The formation of a new directorate for Security, Order and Counter Terrorism responsible for monitoring and dealing with the evolving threat of extremism.
  • A launch of a new unit that will analyse intelligence and advise prisons in England and Wales on how to deal with specific threats, as well as instruct and train prison and probation staff on how best to deter offenders from being lured into extremism.
  • Extremist literature being banned from prisons and the removal of anyone from communal worship who is promoting dangerous views.
  • A new training package to identify, report and combat extremism being rolled out to all prison officers and new pre-employment vetting check for chaplains and imams being introduced from February 2017.

Dangerous extremists will be separated from the mainstream prison population and placed into specialist centres, under new rules published 21 April 2017 by Prisons Minister Sam Gyimah.

 

Three separation centres are being created and will form part of the wider government strategy to tackle extremism in prisons, holding up to 28 of the most

subversive offenders, preventing their influence over others.

 

An amendment to prison rules laid before Parliament means prisoners can be placed in a separation centre if they are involved in planning terrorism or are

considered to pose a risk to national security.

 

Those who are spreading views that might encourage or influence others to commit terrorism crimes, or anyone whose views are being used in a way which undermines good order and security in prisons, may also be placed in one of the centres.

 

A prisoner will be considered for one of the centres if their behaviour behind bars meets one of the criteria included in the new prison rule and the level of

risk they present can only be managed through separation. The introduction of the centres was one of the principal recommendations of a government commissioned independent review into extremism in prisons. The vast majority of

the recommendations are being implemented.

 

The centres form part of the wider strategy to tackle extremism, which

includes:

 

The formation of a new directorate for Security, Order and Counter Terrorism responsible for monitoring and dealing with the evolving threat of extremism.

 

A launch of a new unit that will analyse intelligence and advise prisons in England and Wales on how to deal with specific threats, as well as instruct

and train prison and probation staff on how best to deter offenders from being

lured into extremism.

 

Extremist literature being banned from prisons and the removal of anyone from communal worship who is promoting dangerous views.

 

A new training package to identify, report and combat extremism being rolled

out to all prison officers and new pre-employment vetting check for chaplains

and imams being introduced from February 2017.

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