White Muslims in England and Wales prisons prompt calls for investigation

New Ministry of Justice figures reveal that one in five Muslim prisoners in England and Wales is white, a proportion nearly four times higher than in the general population. The data has prompted Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy to call for an urgent investigation into allegations that vulnerable inmates are being pressured to convert to Islam behind bars.

The statistics, released in response to a parliamentary question answered on July 23, show that as of March 2024, Muslims made up 18.2% of the prison population, with 15,909 inmates recorded as Muslim. Within that group, approximately 20% were white. In the wider population, Muslims constitute about 6.5% of people, of whom 5.8% are white. The figures indicate a significant disparity but do not record when conversions occurred, whether they happened in custody, or if any individual was coerced.

Timothy argued the gap warrants scrutiny. "The percentage of Muslims who are white in our prisons is so vastly higher than in the general population it raised serious questions," he said. "We know that experts have warned repeatedly about forced conversions taking place behind bars, driven by Islamic gangs. We need to be honest that...