I fear that this very well may only be the beginning of violence across the country in the name of radical Islamic fundamentalism – although this case is a bit muddled. The individual responsible for this killing appears to be both a disgruntled employee and very possibly a person espousing the agenda of radical Islamic fundamentalism. I think we are on the verge of seeing “smaller” acts of terrorism across the United States, including individual killings, bombings in the heartland and similar attacks. One need only look to the United Kingdom during the height of the conflict over Northern Ireland for at least some guidance.
I speculate that the person who beheaded the woman in Oklahoma City will not only have connections to radical Islam, of the type that is leading to unbridled violence across the globe, but that he will have come to those beliefs while incarcerated in prison somewhere in the United States.
I say this without equivocation: The prison system in the United States (on both the state and federal levels) has become something of an incubator for radical beliefs of different types, including radical Islamic beliefs.
There is an oft repeated cliché that people find religion in prison. Some people do turn to faith as a legitimate and sincere means of surviving the incarceration experience. For many an individual, embracing faith does not necessarily carry forth much beyond the prison gates when a person finally is released.
With that understood, there is also a segment of the inmate population that utilizes religion and religious gatherings as tools to further nefarious activities. Oftentimes, these types of activities pursued under the guise of faith focus on prison-related objectives. For example, a religious gathering in an institution can be utilized as a means of conveying gang-related communications, pass illicit items or contraband and so forth.
What is more alarming in my mind is the reality that gatherings occur in prison under the guise of religious expression that have criminal objectives that extend beyond the walls of penal institutions. Gangs of all types use these occasions to further criminal enterprises in the proverbial real world, even though they technically are behind bars.
On Fridays, Muslim inmates are permitted to gather for Jumu’ah, or the Friday day of prayer. The vast majority of incarcerated people who gather each week for Jumu’ah are sincere about their desire to practice their faith while incarcerated. However, a very dangerous minority of incarcerated offenders most definitely are not.
A fraction of the inmate population are misusing Jumu-ah, and other gatherings in prisons as a means of propagating a radical agenda. I suggest that part of that agenda, in some instances, is a purposeful radicalization of participants to the point that some individuals are leaving prison behind with a mission to pursue the terrorism agenda espoused by groups like ISIS in our country and against our citizens. (I can’t help but wonder as I write whether what has now occurred in Oklahoma City will shed a tiny sliver of light on what I discuss in this essay as a legitimate problem.)
I must make note that I think penal institutions in our nation have become something of an incubator for Islamic radicalization in some cases because of the draconian sentencing laws which do exist in the United States. The reality is that a considerable percentage of inmates have been sentenced to unnecessarily lengthy terms of incarceration that actually go beyond what is appropriately suited to certain crimes. The reality of sentencing laws in the United States – a nation with the largest incarcerated population on the planet – has led to a profound bitterness and sense of isolation on the part of a segment of the population of incarcerated individuals in the United States. They want to fight back. And, I fear they will through an association with radical Islamic movements.
Of course, there exist a multitude of other reasons why some individuals are drawn to radical doctrines while incarcerated. Indeed, a book could be written on the subject. Nonetheless, I felt compelled to make note of what I perceive as one of the important factors that drive some incarcerated people to espouse radical philosophies of different types, including those that can and will prove dangerous to the public at large.
A number of strategies need to be implemented in order to confront the situation that I describe in this essay. What I do not propose is limiting access to true, meaningful religious expression and practice while in prison. Properly pursued, faith experiences in penal institutions can and do have a positive impact on the lives of a percentage of offenders.
First and foremost, I believe that there needs to be a recognition of the reality of what is occurring right now behind the walls of penal institutions. Second, we also need to revisit the draconian sentences imposed in regard to some crimes to lessen the number of bitter individuals behind bars who can be influenced by radical propositions, including terrorism. Third, we need to beef up meaningful reentry programs for incarcerated persons to better ensure that offenders can better acclimate back into the community in a productive and lawful manner.
Finally, our nation is not well served by certain budget cutbacks inflicted on the prison system in recent years. We do not benefit from eliminating educational and vocational training programs in prison. We do not benefit from reducing the availability of substance abuse and mental health counseling and treatment services in prison.
I conclude this essay with a quote from actor Hill Harper: “People always think about what prison is. What prison really is – it's not a physical challenge, it's mental."
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