Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many of the de-radicalisation programmes operating in the prison estate for Islamic Extremists are prison officer led.

Radicalisation is a complex issue. For every terrorist offender in prison and on probation, we have a range of capabilities to ensure robust supervision. We use tailored interventions with offenders - psychological, ideological and theological - to support their disengagement and rehabilitation. None of the programmes offered are compulsory, to ensure the intervention is most effective, the individual must be willing to engage.

We will continue to regularly review Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) intervention programmes to ensure they are informed by the most up to date research on correctional rehabilitation. Accurately measuring the effectiveness of a programme relies on sufficient numbers completing it, which can take a number of years.

Interventions are led by specialist intervention providers. None of the programmes developed for terrorist offenders are prison officer led. However, we have trained over 29,000 prison staff to recognise, report and challenge extremist behaviour in prison.

HMPPS works closely with partners, including with law enforcement, to understand and manage the risks that terrorist offenders present in prison, using a range of control and rehabilitation measures. This is underpinned by a specialist counter terrorism case management process, which is led by HMPPS Counter Terrorism specialists.