Maslaha Briefing 2 - The Hidden Lives of Muslims in Prison
This is the second in a series of briefings from Maslaha on the hidden lives of Muslims in prison. The briefings highlight the daily experiences of Muslims in prison and the different forms of harm they face. The second looks at the use of force in prisons. It shows that prison officers are more likely to use force against Muslims. And also reveals the inadequate levels of scrutiny on this state-sanctioned violence in prisons.
The use of force by prison officers is meant to be strictly regulated, monitored and ‘misuse’ disciplined. Ranging from use of batons to twisting wrists, some of the practices can cause long term nerve and ligament damage.
In a 2019 equality analysis of the use of force HMPPS itself raised concerns about the rise in the use of force and an unexplained but significant trend towards disproportionality, in particular towards Black, brown and Muslim men. But data and analysis across the prison system on use of force has been lacking. It was only in 2023 that new Use of Force reporting systems were introduced in prisons, providing disaggregation by religion.
We submitted Freedom of Information requests to the Ministry of Justice to find out how
often different types of force were used by prison officers against Muslim men in 2023. We also asked whether mandatory guidelines that require regular meetings of Use of Force committees in individual prisons are being followed, that are meant to identity any potential disproportionality in the practice of use of force.
While the data may be new, the reality of how force is used by officers against Muslim men is not. From our own research we know that there’s a culture of Islamophobia and racism across the prison system that needs to be understood alongside data on the increased use of force. Speaking with Muslim men about their experiences in prison over a number of years - through interviews, focus groups and observations - brings new understandings of daily prison life and the everyday interactions that occur around any use of force.
Such information is necessary and must be properly considered when official reports assert that disparities in the treatment of different groups are being monitored and scrutinised, and that there are no obvious patterns in relation to ethnicity and religion.
Thanks to Louise Finer for research advice and data analysis.