Fears Grow That Muslim Prison Gangs Are Coercing Inmates to Convert To Islam

Alarm bells are ringing across the British justice system over fears that white prisoners in the UK are being terrorized into converting to Islam by dominant, violent prison gangs.

Fresh Ministry of Justice figures expose a startling demographic shift behind bars in England and Wales: one out of every five Muslim inmates is white, compared with 5.8% of Muslims in the general population, according to the Daily Mail. The disparity has triggered urgent calls from political leaders demanding an immediate inquiry into radicalization and coerced conversions reportedly taking place in prisons.

Critics warned that newly arrived inmates face a brutal choice: submit to extremist gangs or suffer violence. While some prisoners adopt the faith as “convenience Muslims” to secure extra cell time or better halal meals, legal experts and veteran prison inspectors say that sheer survival is driving them. Inmates are forced to fall in line within hours of entering a wing to buy protection from dominant radical factions.

The crisis is backed by hard evidence in the government’s landmark 2022 independent review on terrorism in prisons by Jonathan Hall KC.

The bombshell report revealed how extremist “emirs” run power structures inside high-security facilities, taking advantage of isolated and vulnerable prisoners. Hall reported that radical leaders enforce control through psychological manipulation, food sharing, and recruitment backed by “implicit or actual violence.”

“Even when spread out among other prisoners, there are a small number of individuals whose radicalising influence means they can draw others into their world view,” the report stated. “They can have a serious impact on the lives of those they groom, the prison wing and ultimately on the public who face an increased risk of terrorism.”

In one chilling example, London Bridge attacker Usman Khan actively pressured fellow inmates to adopt traditional Muslim names and clothes while aggressively expanding his radical group. Hall’s findings warned that without strong government intervention, these radical networks will continue to subvert prison discipline and create dangerous recruitment pipelines.

In the United States, American prisons are grappling with a massive phenomenon. Islam has long been recognized as the fastest-growing faith behind bars, as CBS News noted, accounting for up to 80% of all religious conversions in the prison system. Tens of thousands of American inmates adopt the faith each year.