Why has there been a surge in Muslim prisoners in Britain?

By December 2014, the number of Muslim prisoners surged to 12,225

ENGLAND: Prisons in England and Wales have seen a surge in the number of its Muslim prisoners since 2002, BBC reported.

In 2002, 5,502 prisoners across England and Wales said they were Muslim and three years later, the figure rose to 7,246. By December 2014, the number surged to 12,225.

Overall prisoner numbers have risen from an average of 70,778 in 2002 to 84,691 last December, however, that 20 per cent increase in the jail population was surpassed by the rise in Muslim inmates- up 122 per cent.

 

PHOTO: BBC

 

The one possible explanation for the rise in these numbers is that there are now more Muslims among the general population. This is evident from the figures in the census.

In the 2001 census, 3 per cent of people in England and Wales said they were Muslim which was 1.55 million of the population. This rose to 4.8 per cent as 2.7 million people had said they were Muslim.

 

PHOTO: BBC

 

The percentage increase in the number of Muslim prisoner numbers has been greater that the increase in the Muslim population. This being said, Muslim inmates now account for 14.4 per cent of those behind bars in contrast with the 7.7 per cent in 2002.

The media may have lead some to believe that the Muslim prisoner population increase is intrinsically linked with terrorism and the conviction of Muslim militants; however, the figures are not reflective of this.

 

PHOTO: DAILY MAIL

 

Data from the Ministry of Justice showed that between October 2012 and January 2015, there were 104 Muslims out of 178 prisoners who were jailed for "terrorism-related offences where the motivation stemmed from extreme ideology". This was less than one per cent of the total Muslim prisoner population.

Socio-economic factors

In a report published on Muslims in jail in 2010, the then Chief Inspector of Prisons, Dame Anne Owers, linked the growth in numbers to the age and socio-economic profiles of the Muslim population in general.

"Both are powerful predictors of involvement in the criminal justice system," she wrote. "Muslims in Britain have a notably younger age profile than non-Muslims and are more likely to come from lower socio-economic groups."

Researcher for the charity Muslim Aid, Amal Imad, agrees with Dame Anne's findings that poverty - in particular not having enough money to feed a family - is a key factor driving crime, and therefore imprisonment, among Muslims.

Discrimination and negative stereotyping

Another report pointed to a more disturbing trend behind the rise in Muslim prisoners: discrimination. It says policy-makers and politicians haven't "fully grasped" the impact of "negative stereotyping" and "cultural difference."

On the disproportionate representation on Muslim men in the criminal justice system, Lady Lola Young of Hornsey stated in her report that prisoners said they experienced differential treatment as a result of their race, ethnicity or faith.

"Black prisoners felt that they were stereotyped as drug dealers and Muslim prisoners as terrorists."