Jihadi danger men in jail unit ‘to prevent spread of hate’
A “JAIL within a jail” is to house the country’s most dangerous Islamic extremists in a bid to stop other inmates being radicalised.
The jihadi unit will be in Durham’s highsecurity Frankland prison, the Prison Officers Association confirmed.
The jail is already home to Tanvir Hussain, who planned to explode liquid bombs in drink bottles on flights to the US, Dhiren Barot, who masterminded a dirty bomb plot, and Omar Khyam, convicted of planning to blow up Bluewater shopping centre in Kent. Michael Adebolajo, who murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby, was transferred to Frankland amid fears he was attempting to radicalise inmates in Belmarsh prison, South East London.
The announcement comes after the Westminster Bridge attack by Khalid Masood, who is believed to have had an “abrupt religious conversion” when in Lewes jail, East Sussex.
The POA said: “What happens in prison tends to reflect society. There is a problem with radicalisation outside and that is reflected inside.” It is sceptical about segregation but would “watch to see” its impact.
The Ministry of Justice said preventing radicalisation in jails by dangerous extremists is “fundamental to public protection”.
Other top-security jails are likely to follow Frankland, at a cost of £1million a year each.
An estimated 131 Islamist inmates were in jail last year for terror offences, with 1,000 inmates considered at risk of radicalisation.