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How safe are you now in The UK?

November 09, 2010 06:17

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/8116234/Forty...

The Daily Telegraph has learnt that concern over the release of a “significant” number of Islamic extremists has driven ministers to draw up rules for their supervision.
Probation officers have been issued with a “menu” of restrictions that can be placed on terrorists freed on licence. The curbs are understood to include orders to have contact with only Government-approved imams, not to visit certain mosques, not to associate with anyone with a criminal record and not to use computers.
According to Ministry of Justice figures, at least 20 convicted terrorists have been freed from jail this year after completing their sentences. Another 26 will be eligible for release over the next two years.
Amid warnings from security officials about the threat posed by freed extremists, the MoJ has issued probation officers with orders permitting significant limits on their clients’ freedom.
The Daily Telegraph has seen a copy of the MoJ document, marked “Restricted” and entitled The Management of Critical Public Protection Cases and Terrorist or Terrorist Related Offenders. It states: “There is now a small but significant number of terrorists being held in custody or managed on licence.
“This instruction ensures that processes to manage offenders who pose a risk of harm to the public or whose cases pose complex management issues are effectively configured to meet the challenges of managing terrorist offenders.”
The threat of Islamic terrorism was underlined last week by the discovery of a parcel bomb on a plane at East Midlands airport, and the jailing of Roshonara Choudhry, the student who was inspired by al-Qaeda to attempt to murder the Labour MP Stephen Timms.
By some estimates there are now more than 100 convicted Islamic terrorists in the British prison system.
The Royal United Services Institute has suggested that as many as 800 Muslims have been radicalised behind bars and could present a security threat on release over the next decade. Terrorists who were eligible to be freed over the past two years included Abu Bakr Mansha, jailed for plotting to kill a British soldier, and Khalid Khaliq, an associate of the July 7 bombers who was jailed for possessing documents useful for terrorism.
The MoJ document warns that released terrorists may try to take work that puts them in contact with those who may be susceptible to extremist ideologies. “Some released offenders may express an interest in working in the field of 'deradicalisation’ or in other roles which may involve direct or indirect contact with vulnerable individuals,” it says.
Terrorist offenders, like other prisoners, are eligible for release after serving half of their sentence. If freed, they are put “on licence”, subject to restrictions which, if broken, can return them to jail.
The extensive new curbs on freed terrorists’ movements come as ministers are deciding whether to abolish control orders, the legal orders that effectively place some terrorist suspects under house arrest. Some ministers want to scrap control orders, fearing they infringe suspects’ civil liberties.
Echoing those concerns, the new instructions to probation officers warn them against the blanket application of the restrictions, saying that each curb must be carefully justified. They state: “It is not acceptable to simply add all available conditions to every case. There must be supporting evidence and argument that the proposed licence conditions are necessary and proportionate.”
The document also warns officers of the dangers of dealing with terrorist offenders. “[They] have been known to use techniques of collusion, manipulation and duress in their relationships with front line staff,” it says. “Offender managers’ potential influence on release dates could theoretically make them targets for coercion of various kinds.”
Harry Fletcher, of the National Association of Probation Officers, claimed that ministers were asking his members to deal with terrorist offenders instead of developing a coherent system for their treatment.
“It is absolutely essential that adequate resources are given to supervise these men properly,” he said. “The danger is that the licences applied to these people become control orders by the back door.”
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “It is entirely right and proper that the National Offender Management Service puts in place appropriate and robust licence conditions for those released under probation supervision, particularly serious and violent offenders.
“These licence conditions are based on rigorous risk assessments, and the use of tight licence conditions is by no means unique to terrorist offenders. All offenders are able to challenge licence conditions imposed, however the NOMS will always seek to ensure that licence conditions are sufficient to manage the individual’s offending behaviour.”

November 09, 2010 06:17

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