'Efforts to reform terrorists failing': Two-thirds jailed for Islamist terror offences remain attached to extremist ideology

110 of 150 jihadists refused to engage with rehab programme

And, it is claimed, the ones who have are just the footsoldiers

Many of those programme targets have been brainwashed for years

Efforts by Government officials to turn Islamist terrorists away from their extremist ideology are largely failing, it was claimed last night.

Some 110 of the 150 convicted jihadists in Britain have refused to engage with a programme designed to stop them posing a threat to the public, Sky News reported.

And it was claimed that the 40 convicts who have joined the Contest programme are footsoldiers rather than ringleaders.

(File picture) Sign of defiance: Muslims demonstrate in Luton. Report finds two-thirds jailed for Islamist terror offences remain attached to extremist ideology

It means more than two-thirds of those jailed for Islamist terror offences remain attached to their extremist ideology, despite millions being spent on counter-extremism programmes.

The Contest programme involves officials going in to prison to try to rehabilitate extremists to adopt non-violent forms of Islam. However, many of those it targets have been brainwashed for years.

Security analysts said the programme’s difficulties would put more pressure on security services to monitor terrorists once they leave jail.

There are around 30 convicted terrorists free on British streets since they served their jail sentences.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'Those who endanger lives and threaten our national security have no right to be in our communities. They can rightly expect to receive long sentences.



'But challenging the extremist ideologies of individual prisoners can be a long and complex process. There is no one size fits all solution.

