For most of those working in the criminal justice system since 9/11, the topic of Islam and Muslims in prison has been shrouded in mystery.

We know from our different experiences as a High Court Judge and Chair/ member of the Parole Board on the one hand, and as a Number One Prison Governor on the other, that many convicted offenders are becoming Muslim in prison. We have also had some direct experience of the psychological and rehabilitative benefits, and the criminogenic risks, of that religious choice, and, on occasion, the difficulties currently involved in telling between them. We have never really known, or had the means to know, the extent of conversion and change into and within Islam in prison, the different types of Islamic Worldview held by prisoners, the extent of Islamist Extremism in prison, or how the experience of Islam affects the lives of prisoners on a daily basis.

Islam in Prison successfully plugs that gap in practical knowledge. It is, as its authors claim, a ‘one-stop-shop’ which comprehensively puts the reader, professional, academic or simply interested, in the picture about everything that they will need to know about Islam itself and Islam in prison. For example, it provides a concise, well-written and myth-busting short history of Islam, as well as a comprehensive and fascinating account of the Worldviews, and the experiences of conversion and rehabilitation, of Muslim prisoners.

Its practical and operational observations will assist prison officers, prison chaplains and prison governors to understand Islam and the Muslims in their custody and care, and help enormously to break down the barriers of mistrust and misunderstanding through which professional relationships in prison can so easily, and dangerously, turn sour.

The interest, utility and readability of the book derives in part from the quality of the research behind it. The research represents the largest and most detailed study on Islam in prison to date, carried out by researchers from a variety of disciplines, each of whom is a leader in their field.

The interest, utility and readability of the book also derive from the vivid voices of Muslim prisoners themselves. The prisoners’ accounts of the experiences of their faith in prison are always interesting, usually hopeful, occasionally alarming and sometimes moving.