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My piece on Rep. Peter King's latest Muslim hearings focused on prison radicalization is up, noting that despite all the hype, American prisons haven't turned out to be a fertile breeding ground for Islamic extremists:
According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), only one terrorism plot since 9/11 has involved individuals who became radicalized Muslims in prison. In his testimony before the committee, Professor Bert Useem of Perdue University pointed out that terrorists tend to be middle class and educated, which is why they’re preoccupied with politics and current events. Prisoners tend to be less educated and commit crimes for personal gain rather than ideology.“Radicalization [in prison] is difficult,” Useem said, “because these are people who are mainly guided by their self-interest.”That’s not to say that there isn’t anyone in prison with radical beliefs who might ultimately pose a risk, or that there’s no need for vigilance; it’s just that, for a number of reasons, Islamic radicalization in prison that leads to actual violence isn’t much of a problem. Many prisoners might convert to Islam, and a few of those might develop radical beliefs, but few actually commit acts of violence once they’re released.This is not to say that every hearing focused on Islamic extremists would by definition, be bad. It's just that King's focus on the matter has been particularly unproductive. While this might not be true generally, in the context of prison radicalization hasn't manifested as a big issue.
