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Terrorist Recruitment in American Correctional Institutions: An Exploratory Study of Non-Traditional Faith Groups
Title: Terrorist Recruitment in American Correctional Institutions: An Exploratory Study of Non-Traditional Faith Groups
Date: December 2007
Author: Mark S. Hamm
Institution: Indiana State University
Bibliographic Entry: Hamm, Mark. “Terrorist Recruitment in American Correctional Institutions: An Exploratory Study of Non-Traditional Faith Groups.” December 2007. http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/220957.pdf (Accessed February 11, 2008).
Electronic Link: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/220957.pdf
Key Words: radicalization, correctional institutions, prison, jail, homegrown terrorism, terrorist recruitment
Summary of Key Points, Issues, Conclusions:
Research suggests that many prisoners began their incarceration with little or no religious calling, but converted during their imprisonment. According to the FBI, some of these prisoners may be vulnerable to terrorist recruitment. The purpose of this research is three-fold: (1) to collect baseline information on non-traditional religions in United States correctional institutions; (2) to identify the personal and social motivations for prisoners’ conversions to these faith groups; and (3) to assess the prisoners’ potential for terrorist recruitment.
The work is organized into five chapters. Chapter 1 presents a comprehensive review of the literature bearing on the research objectives. Research methods and the social context of the analysis are presented in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 presents results of the interviews with chaplains and prisoners. These prisoners had undergone religious conversions to the following faiths during their incarceration: traditional Islam, Nation of Islam, Moorish Science Temple, and Prison Islam; Hinduism and Buddhism; Native-American; Black Hebrew Israelism; Wicca; and white supremacy religions (Odin/Asatru and Christian Identity). the primary motivation for conversion is spiritual searching. The study shows that friendship and kinship networks are important in explaining how people are recruited into new religious movements. Chapter 4 examines the extent to which converted inmates may be vulnerable to radicalization and terrorist recruitment. Finally, conclusions and recommendations for criminal justice policy are offered in Chapter 5.
Name of Researcher: Katie Stout
Institution: Integrative Center for Homeland Security, Texas A&M University
Date Posted: February 12, 2008