The case for isolating terrorists in prison is stronger than ever

Watching last night’s ITV report from inside two of Britain’s highest security jails was an odd experience for me. The focus on terrorist offenders at HMP Frankland gave us a unique (although much pixelated) glimpse inside the separation units I urged the government to create back in 2016. I’ve had virtually no formal contact with HM Prison Service since. I sense this is in no small part due to the embarrassment I caused my former senior colleagues by revealing their corporate approach to counter terror –mired at that time in a culture of complacency, arrogance, denial and ineptitude.

Having led a thorough independent review of the threat posed by Islamist extremists in the justice system for ministers, the evidence we gathered from countless field visits, secret intelligence and staff surveys was overwhelming. The unfettered association between charismatic, highly subversive ideologues in prison and other violent recruits was an unacceptable threat to national security on either side of the prison walls.