Jail is Like a College Campus in Incubating, Not Deterring Jihad

Senior Hamas Terrorist Caught after a Decade on Wanted List

Most people of good understand the need for targeted assassinations against terrorists like this man. Why, then, is capital punishment off-limits? He will now spend the rest of his life propagating Islamism to those most willing to murder when released.

Jail is not a deterrent for Islamists. They avoid it because it is less ideal than having unrestricted operational flexibility. But it has its advantages. Most people, particularly in poor countries, do not have the luxury of taking time off from earning a living to focus on ideological pursuits. Prison is like a college campus in that Islamists no longer have to waste time earning a living and can focus exclusively on spreading jihad by recruiting, networking, ideological development and training in an environment filled with their colleagues and most desirable prospects. It often requires time and severance of family ties to develop someone ideologically to the point where he is willing to be a suicide bomber. Prison is currently a nearly ideal catalyst for jihad, whereas we believe it to be a constraint.

Updates:

Mar. 8: UK Terror Suspects to Get Laptops

Oct. 23, 2007: Jail ‘Hardening’ Terror Convicts

Mar. 1, 2006: Militant Support Grows in Mideast Prisons

Jan. 31, 2006: al-Qaeda Gang Runs UK Prison

Dec. 18, 2005: Bali Bomb Ringleader Recruits for Jihad on Death Row
One Islamist wrote 18 books where cell phones and laptops are common


See also:

Radical Indoctrination in the U.S. Prisons

California Prison Jihadis Converted to Islam in Jail

Islamists and Incarceration: Prisons Prove to be Prime Recruiting Grounds

Muslims Comprise 70% of the French Prison Population

North Caucasian Prisons Becoming Wahhabi Schools

Arabic Words Go Free in Jails