Engaging Muslim Communities in relation to the Criminal Justice

SystemDr Basia Spalek

Senior Lecturer in Criminology

University of Birmingham

Faith Communities & Criminal Justice

• The notion of ‘community’ features significantly in contemporary criminal justice policy.

• Bonding social capital refers to the ways in which members of religious communities might provide services and support to members of their own communities. Bridging social capital, on the other hand, refers to the ways in which religious communities can provide support and services to members of the wider locale, through undertaking voluntary work for example.

Muslim Communities & Criminal Justice

• Crime and Muslim Communities

• Muslims in Prison

• Muslim Communities as Victims of Crime

Muslim Communities, Counter-Terrorism, Counter-Radicalisation

• In a post 9/11 context, Muslims’ responsibilities as active citizens are being increasingly framed by anti-terror measures.

• National Policing Plan 2005-08 (Home Office, 2005a) it is stated that the ‘counter-terrorism strategy of Government is underpinned by strong intelligence processes within each force area and strong communities to build and increase trust and confidence within minority faith communities’.

Muslim Communities, Counter-Terrorism, Counter-Radicalisation

• 'Preventing Extremism Together'

• The National Muslim Women’s Advisory Group (NMWAG), consisting of 19 Muslim women who will discuss issues and concerns that are affecting Muslim women, advising the Government on the role that women can play in ‘winning hearts and minds and tackling extremism’.

Key Issues

• Harder versus Softer Approaches

• Stop and Search

• Engagement led by imperatives of government ?

• Who to Engage With ?

• Questioning community participation: supporting independent community interests ?