Dangerous extremists will be separated from the mainstream prison
population and placed into specialist centres, under new rules
published today by Prisons Minister .
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 today 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.
The first centre will be up and running at HMP Frankland in the
coming weeks, with two further units to follow at other
establishments.
Prisons Minister said:
“Any form of extremism must be defeated wherever it is found, and
it is right that we separate those who pose the greatest risk in
order to limit their influence over other prisoners.
“These centres are a crucial part of our wider strategy to help
tackle extremism in prisons and ensure the safety and security of
both our prisons and the wider public.”
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.
Once in a centre, they will be reviewed by experts every three
months and will only be returned to the mainstream prison
population if it is considered that the risk they present has
reduced to a level that can be effectively managed there.
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 Government takes the threat of radicalisation and extremism
in prisons extremely seriously and has built on the
recommendations in the review to further boost efforts to tackle
extremism.
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.
NOTES TO EDITORS
- The Government announced in August its response to a report
into extremism in prisons plans ‘to create specialist units
within the high security estate to allow greater separation and
specialised management of extremists who pose the highest risk to
other prisoners’.
- In November the Ministry of Justice published the ‘Prison
Safety and Reform White Paper’ setting out the steps it is taking
to make prisons a place of safety and reform. The white paper
explained that ‘extremism is a danger to society and a threat to
public safety’.
