Radicalization in Custody: Towards Data-Driven Terrorism Prevention in the United States Federal Correctional System

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This policy paper explores radicalization and violent extremism in the United States federal correctional system. Federal correctional facilities currently host diverse populations of incarcerated extremists, and dozens of extremist inmates are scheduled for release within the next five years. While problems related to extremism in the U.S. correctional system may seem small, especially in comparison to other issues, the threat of in-custody radicalization and extremist recidivism are growing concerns for U.S. counterterrorism authorities. Despite this increased attention, there is a lack of data regarding the scope and nature of radicalization in custody in the U.S., and a concomitant lack of terrorism prevention programming in American prisons and jails. These two interrelated features create a feedback loop—practitioners are loath to implement programs without data, and researchers and analysts cannot generate data without programs. To break this cycle, U.S. federal correctional authorities should consider the implementation of a pilot intervention program for recently incarcerated extremists, the adoption of a risk and needs assessment model, and the initiation of a long term study exploring recidivism outcomes of released extremist offenders. These programs should draw from a reconceptualization of how policymakers approach “prison radicalization” to account for the complexity of the U.S. correctional system and individual inmates’ experiences with radicalization and extremism.