Since the beginnings of corrections, inmates have utilized the jails and prisons as platforms for further criminal actions. Correctional facilities are a breading ground for gangs and other groups linked to violent actions. There are many reasons why inmates are primed for breading: captive audience; anti-American/anti-law enforcement sentiment; desire for power/revenge; and, possess desirable skills.
The seminal case for prison radicalization in the United States is that of Jamiyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheeh or JIS. In August 2005, Kevin James, Levar Washington, Gregory Patterson, and Hammad Samana were arrested for plotting to attack Los Angeles, CA-based targets including synagogues, the Israeli Consu
late, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), U.S. military recruiting offices, and military bases. In 1997, James founded this violent jihadist movement called JIS or “Authentic Assembly of God” in the California state prison system. James met Washington behind bars in 2004 and recruited him into JIS. After his release, Washington enlisted Patterson, an employee at LAX, and Samana at the Jamaat-E-Masijudal mosque in Inglewood, CA, where they all worshipped.
The FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and Bureau of Prisons have worked to develop a Correctional Intelligence Initiative (CII) process. This program includes a charge for federal agencies to work with, at the very least, federal prisons. From the FBI side, there are CII coordinators in each field office, and the program is managed by individuals detailed to the National Joint Terrorism Task Force (NJTTF) at the National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC).
The States of California, as well as Iowa, have made significant steps to train county jail officials to be cognizant of potential radicalization signs:
- Tattoos. New tattoos on inmates can be very telling to identify which groups an individual identifies with, including gangs, white supremacist, etc.
- Literature. There are specific religious texts that have certain slants to them. In addition to certain Koran translations, there are Bibles and other texts that talk about Caucasian individuals as being a master race.
- Statements. Inmates are not afraid to talk about what they are usually involved with. Inmates will often leak statements or other signs that can help identify radicalization.
The CII program has focused on recommending an increasing vetting program of both staff and volunteers, and also literature.
This issue is not isolated to the United States, as recent press from the United Kingdom show renewed interest in this topic.
There is definitely a need for government agencies, including those who run local Sheriff’s offices who have jail facilities, to dedicate resources for Countering Violent Extremism (CVE). While the CII program focuses on looking for the warning signs to preempt an attack, CVE work would recommend we instead focus on the prison, holistically.
References
Department of Justice. (2008, July 21). Second Man Involved in Domestic Terrorism Plot Targeting Military, Jewish Facilities Sentenced to Prison. Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2008/July/08-nsd-634.html
Department of Justice. (2005, August 31). Four Men Indicted on Terrorism Charges. Retrieved from http://www.dodig.mil/IGInformation/IGInformationReleases/fourmen_090105.pdf
Lee, D. R. (2014). Prison radicalization in county jails: Disrupting terrorist acts through information sharing (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Naval Postgraduate School, Monterrey, CA.
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