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Extremists in British prisons to be segregated to tackle radicalization

Xinhua, August 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

Britain's Ministry of Justice (MoJ) set out new measures Monday to tackle extremism in prisons.

Extremists are to be held in new "specialist units," and there will be a crackdown on extremist literature and tightened vetting of prison chaplains.

The MoJ announced in a statement that governors and prison officers will be given training, skills and authority needed to prevent influential extremist prisoners exerting control and radicalizing others being held in their prisons.

The measures follow a landmark review, published Monday, looking at the risks posed by Islamist extremists in British prisons.

"Prison officers on the front line will be equipped to crack down on extremist behavior. They will be supported by a new directorate for security, order and counter-terrorism, responsible for monitoring and dealing with this evolving threat," said the MoJ.

Governors have also been instructed to ban extremist literature and to remove anyone from Friday prayers considered to be promoting anti-British beliefs or other dangerous views.

Under the new moves, the MoJ says the most dangerous Islamist extremists will be removed from the general prison population and held in specialist units in high security prisons. The aim is to incapacitate violent extremists by keeping them away from other prisoners. The creation of the units is one of the recommendations in the review, ordered by the British government last year.

Secretary of State for Justice Elizabeth Truss said Monday: "Islamist extremism is a danger to society and a threat to public safety. It must be defeated wherever it is found. I am committed to confronting and countering the spread of this poisonous ideology behind bars."

"Preventing the most dangerous extremists from radicalizing other prisoners is essential to the safe running of our prisons and fundamental to public protection," said Truss.

Other key measures being implemented include boosting plans for rapid responses by intervention teams to terrorist-related incidents.

The review team, led by former prison governor Ian Acheson, made over 60 prison visits in Britain and overseas, and interviewed more than 300 prison staff and policymakers before putting forward their recommendations. Enditem