Terrorist-Criminal Alliances Flourish in UK Prisons, Study Finds

A recent study indicates that terrorists are instructing prisoners on bomb-making techniques within British prisons. In exchange for this knowledge, career criminals are teaching extremists how to launder money, navigate the dark web, and acquire weapons. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick has expressed concern that extremists and career criminals are operating with near impunity in some of the UK's most secure prisons. He views this as a significant failure of leadership and a dangerous dereliction of the state's responsibility to maintain order within correctional facilities.

The Conservative MP emphasized that the formation of alliances between Islamist terrorists and organized crime figures poses a national threat. He has called for immediate action to address this issue. Dr. Hannah Bennett's study revealed that terrorists are learning illegal methods to fund their operations, while gang members and those involved in organized crime are gaining knowledge of weapon construction. The study, based on interviews with prisoners, prison staff, former governors, and counter-terrorism officials, highlights a breakdown in the barriers between terrorists and other inmates. It warns that failing to disrupt this knowledge exchange could lead to the growth of violent alliances both inside and outside of prisons.

Dr. Bennett noted that maximum-security prisons with evidence of corruption, violence, and inadequate oversight are particularly vulnerable to these exchanges. She explained that the risk is significantly higher in prisons characterized by violence, chaos, and a lack of consistent management, where inmates are housed together without proper supervision. One inmate stated that there were no restrictions on who they could associate with, with some prisoners forming relationships with terrorists for protection and access to essential items. Another inmate claimed that prison authorities seemed unaware of the situation, stating that prisoners are being released more radicalized, connected, and capable, without any intervention.

A senior police officer quoted in the study noted that the connections formed in prison are bidirectional, with terrorists discovering new methods of financial gain while incarcerated. Professor Ian Acheson, a former prison governor, expressed concern about "black hole" prisons where weak authority, inexperience, and poor leadership have effectively ceded control to inmates. He highlighted the enduring risk to national security when ideologically motivated offenders and organized crime leaders can freely interact, especially when they have the capacity to obtain weapons and facilitate escapes. The Ministry of Justice has been contacted for comment. This report follows the revelation that hundreds of Islamic State terrorists are at large in the UK due to a failure to prosecute them.