Hundreds of prisoners at risk of becoming far-right or Islamic extremists behind bars

SEVEN HUNDRED prisoners have been identified as a potential extremism risk, it has emerged.

The figure, published for the first time since authorities launched a major crackdown on radicalisation behind bars, includes inmates flagged up over concerns they hold extreme Islamist or far-right beliefs.

It was disclosed as the Government announced a second separation centre to house the “most subversive” prisoners has opened at HMP Full Sutton in East Yorkshire. Ministers unveiled plans to set up three specialist facilities to isolate fanatics from the rest of the population last year.

Moves to establish the “jails within jails” gathered pace after an official review warned that Islamist extremism was a growing problem in prisons in England and Wales.

The assessment found evidence of offenders advocating support for Islamic State and “charismatic” prisoners acting as “self-styled emirs” to radicalise other inmates.

The first separation centre opened at HMP Frankland in Durham in July.

Announcing the opening of the facility at HMP Full Sutton, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said: “With 700 prisoners considered a risk due to their extremist views, and foreign fighters returning from Syria and Iraq hardened and dangerous, the Government is meeting the challenge of confronting and countering the spread of poisonous ideology within prisons.”

It is understood the 700 figure is an overall estimate of all inmates linked to any form of extremism, including Islamist or far-right ideologies.

The MOJ said there has been a 75 per cent increase in prisoners convicted of terrorism-related offences in the last three years.

At the end of December there were 224 individuals in custody in Britain after being charged with or convicted of terrorism-related crimes.

Of those, 192, or 86 per cent, were assessed as holding Islamist views, while 21, or just under a tenth, were identified as having extreme far-right sympathies.

Other prisoners held for nonterrorism offences but deemed to be an extremism risk were also counted in the 700 figure.

Justice Secretary David Gauke said: “As a result of the Government’s unprecedented action to protect the public from extremists, we have seen a 75 per cent rise in terrorism-related prisoners over the last three years.”