Prisoner Radicalization: Assessing the Threat in U.S. Correctional Institutions
Publication year:
2008
| Cataloged on:
Feb. 03, 2009
ANNOTATION: The case of Kevin Lamar James is used to illustrate how inmates can become radicalized to the point of committing terrorist acts. Kevin James and several accomplices were found guilty of "conspiring to wage war against the United States." James ran the terrorist cell from within the California State Prison in Tehachapi. This publication discusses: the man behind the plot; linking prisoner radicalization and terrorism -- the JIS (The Assembly of Authentic Islam); the September 11 plot of 2005; a closer look at radicalization -- why prisoners convert, how conversion affects behavior, the gang problem, and the role of charismatic leaders; and recommendations to combat radicalization and terrorist recruitment -- hire chaplains, diversify corrections personnel, provide training, and increase the knowledge base.