Foreword - Sir David Calvert-Smith and Eoin McLennan Murray -- Introduction: A tale of three prisoners -- 1. Where does Islam come from and who are Muslim prisoners? -- 2. What is Islam in prison? -- 3. Finding their faith: why do prisoners choose Islam? -- 4. What types of Islam do prisoners follow? -- 5. Mainstream Islam in prison -- 6. Islamism and Islamist Extremism in prison -- 7. The lives of Muslim prisoners: opportunities and risks -- 8. Caring for Muslim prisoners: Muslim prison chaplaincy -- 9. Managing Muslim prisoners: treading a middle path between naivety and suspicion -- 10. Conclusion: The Virtuous Cycle of Rehabilitation and Avoiding the Vicious Cycle of Extremism

This overview of Islam and prison provides a thorough understanding of Muslim prisoners' experiences in Britain and Europe. It explores issues including conversion to Islam, rehabilitation and the extent to which prisons foster extremism, and gives practitioners and policy-makers ideas for better engagement and achieving positive outcomes. Based on original evidence from 279 Muslim prisoners and 79 prison officers, this book explores how Muslims come to be incarcerated, how the practice of Islam affects prison life and rehabilitation, the types of Islam and the effects of Islamic conversion in prison and the professional practice of officers and chaplains. It also investigates the common belief that incarceration fosters Islamist extremism and suggests improvements to faith provision and rehabilitative opportunities for Muslim prisoners.