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UK Justice Ministry Steps Up Fight Against Extremism in Prisons

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The UK Justice Ministry said that it had toughened measures against extremism in the prisons across the country by opening a second separation center to house the most radicalized inmates.
Sputnik

"A second separation center to house the most subversive prisoners has opened as the Government redoubles its efforts in the fight to stamp out extremism – amid a surge in numbers jailed for terrorism-related offenses. The centre, at HMP [Her Majesty’s Prison] Full Sutton, delivers on our commitment to curtail the influence of the most disruptive inmates, with a third such facility set to be in operation by the end of the year," The UK Justice Ministry said in a press release, adding that the first center had been opened at Frankland prison in July 2017.

According to the ministry, in order to step up UK efforts in countering terrorism, the new center will separate offenders involved in staging terrorist attacks or considered to pose a risk to national security from the majority of other prisoners. Prisoners who can push others into committing terrorist attacks, or whose extremist views undermine the prison’s order and security, can also be placed in the Full Sutton center.

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The ministry also stressed that it had established a new intelligence unit, while also employing 100 counterterrorism specialists to train over 13,000 frontline staff to detect signs of extremist behavior among the prisoners. It also stressed that due to UK government's counterterrorism measures, the number of prisoners convicted of terror-related crimes had increased by 75 percent over the past three years.

In 2017, the United Kingdom faced a number of terror attacks, most notably the attack on London's Westminster Bridge and parliament grounds in March, and the concert bombing in Manchester in May.

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