Court Sides with Virginia Prison System on Lawsuit by Muslim Inmate Who Wanted 1/8-inch Beard
THE REPUBLIC: RICHMOND, Va. — A federal court has denied a Muslim inmate's lawsuit claiming the Virginia prison system violated his religious rights by refusing to allow him to grow a 1/8-inch beard.

William Couch challenged the Department of Corrections' grooming policy that bans long hair or beards.

A federal court in Harrisonburg sided with the department Thursday. Read on and comment » | Dena Potter | Associated Press | Monday, April 25, 2011

David Miliband Calls Hillary Clinton to Voice Anger over Guantánamo Inmates' Transfer to Bermuda
THE TELEGRAPH: A high-level transatlantic row has broken out over the Obama administration's failure to consult Britain over the transfer of four Guantánamo Bay inmates to Bermuda.

Bermuda has agreed to take in four Guantanamo Bay detainees. Photo courtesy of The Telegraph
David Miliband has telephoned Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, to express the government's disappointment at the deal.

British officials were informed the four Chinese Uighurs were heading to the United Kingdom's oldest dependency only as they boarded their plane for Bermuda on Wednesday night.

A British diplomat said: "The Foreign Secretary registered his surprise. It was a regrettable mistake. Bermuda, the UK and the US now need to work together to fix it and make sure it doesn't happen again."

A senior State Department official said this diplomatic understatement masked a real anger over the Obama administration's oversight among British officials, telling ABC News: "They're pissed". >>> By Toby Harnden in Washington | Friday, June 12, 2009

Controversial Therapy Aims to ‘Cure’ Terrorists
FOX NEWS: A controversial therapy program has been initiated to "cure" extremist Muslim inmates of their political beliefs, the U.K.'s Sunday Mail reported.

Psychologists in the prison service will use techniques similar to those used to “de-program” members of religious cults, the Mail reported. The experimental treatments are being developed by a special extremism unit, set up by the Ministry of Justice.

The therapy is part of a strategy to combat Islamic extremism in Britain's jails where Muslim prisoners are serving time for terrorist offenses, the paper reported. The Ministry fears that if they are left alone, their violent, jihadist interpretation of Islam will spread. >>> | October 20, 2008

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Muslim Inmates Offered Fresh Bedding and Clothing after Sniffer Dog Searches
MIRROR: Muslim inmates are being offered fresh bedding and clothing after sniffer dog searches - because the animals are considered unclean in Islam.

They are allowed to request replacements if the animals' saliva touches garments and linen.

Ministry of Justice spokeswoman Rosemary Hanna explained: "We are aware that if dog saliva comes into contact with the clothing or religious artefacts of a Muslim, it renders these items defiled. As such a prisoner must be allowed to change clothing if this occurs.

"Also, bedding should be changed where the prisoner feels that it has been defiled."

The practice follows a complaint from an illegal immigrant awaiting deportation at Dover prison in Kent but is now in place nationwide.

Prisoners' Korans will also be protected from sniffer dogs. Ms Hanna added: "They should not be allowed to touch holy books and artefacts. Muslim Inmates Offered Fresh Bedding and Clothing after Sniffer Dog Searches By Allison Martin | October 9, 2008

DAILY EXPRESS:
Muslim Inmates Get New Clothes if Dog Sniffs Cell >>> | October 9, 2008

BBC:
Staff ‘Fears’ over Muslim Inmates: A prison inspection report has detailed the "fear" felt by staff at Whitemoor high security jail in Cambridgeshire at the radicalisation of Muslim prisoners.

The Chief Inspector of Prisons said the findings highlight a growing "disaffection and distance" between Muslim inmates and the prison system.

Anne Owers said the growing situation "urgently" needed addressing.

The National Offender Management Service said work to improve prisoner and staff relations was "a priority".

Ms Owers said the Prison Service "needs to equip staff better to deal with the growing number of Muslim prisoners".

The report says a fundamental problem at HMP Whitemoor is the relationship between staff and the 120 Muslim inmates - almost a third of the total number of prisoners.

According to inspectors, officers tended to treat Muslim prisoners as extremists and potential security risks, even though only eight of them had been convicted of terrorist offences.

Officers expressed a "fear" that increasing numbers of prisoners were converting to Islam and being radicalised.

Prison officers said Muslim prison gangs are trying to force other inmates to sign up to Islamic radicalism.

Inspectors were told that extremists at HMP Whitemoor were pushing a "strict and extreme" interpretation of Islamic practice.

Ms Owers said: "There was a perception among officers that some Muslim prisoners operated as a gang and put pressures on non-Muslim prisoners to convert, and on other Muslim prisoners to conform to a strict and extreme interpretation of Islamic practice." >>> | October 10, 2008

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Tail Wags Dog: Muslim Inmates Put Wind Up Jail Staff!
BBC: A Prison Service report has expressed concern about problems with the high number of Muslim inmates at one of Britain's high-security jails.

A review of Whitemoor Prison in Cambridgeshire found staff were fearful of doing the wrong thing, "shifting the power dynamic towards prisoners".

The Howard League for Penal Reform said the report was "extremely disturbing".

The Prison Service says it will examine how to manage gangs and terrorist prisoners at the jail.

The report, written by the Prison Service's Directorate of High Security, was obtained by the Howard League under the Freedom of Information Act.

It found staff at Whitemoor Prison near March, Cambridgeshire, "appeared reluctant to challenge inappropriate behaviour, in particular among black and minority ethnic prisoners, for fear of doing the wrong thing".

"This was leading to a general feeling of lack of control and shifting the power dynamic towards prisoners," the report said.

"A wing itself felt particularly unstable with a general lack of confidence among staff."

Urgent matter

The report said there was an "ongoing theme of fear and instability" around the prison and many staff believed a "serious incident" was imminent.

It said the "very high Muslim population" - more than one in four of the 500 inmates - appeared to be "leading to anxiety and apprehension among some staff". Jail Staff 'Fear Muslim Inmates' >>> | May 25, 2008

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