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What makes this even more alarming is that reportedly only 3% of the UK population are Muslims. The proportion of young Muslim men in youth jails in England and Wales rose by more than a 25% last year, even though the total number of young people in custody fell by 14% last year.
More than one in five young men in prison are Muslims, who claim to feel safer and more respected than other inmates, research shows. They account for 22 per cent of prisoners in youth jails in England and Wales compared with 18 per cent Church of England and 17 per cent Catholic.
The inmates felt their religious beliefs were also more likely to be respected but black and other ethnic minorities felt less safe and likely to be victimised, the chief inspector of prisons found.
Some Muslim prisoners felt more victimised by staff, with more than two in five having been physically restrained while serving time, compared with about one in three non-Muslims. The number of children and young people in custody fell by 14 per cent in 2011-2012, from 1,822 to 1,543.
