# Alleged forced religious conversions in UK prisons > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/alleged-forced-religious-conversions-in-uk-prisons > Updated: 2026-08-26T21:59:42.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 2. Political figures in the United Kingdom are calling for investigations into allegations of forced religious conversions within prisons in England and Wales. Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy has urged ministers to probe reports that Islamist gangs use violence, intimidation, or the promise of protection to coerce white inmates into converting to Islam. Ministry of Justice data highlights a demographic disparity, showing that one in five Muslim prisoners is white—a rate nearly four times higher than the 5.8 per cent found in the general Muslim population. While these figures show a significant increase in the proportion of Muslim inmates, officials have noted that the data does not explicitly confirm if these conversions were the result of pressure. Jonathan Hall KC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, has previously reported on Islamist terrorists acting as ‘self-styled emirs’ to exert control over inmates. Such recruitment processes reportedly target vulnerable prisoners through gifts, guidance, or implicit violence. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-26: UK MPs demand probe into alleged forced prison conversions MPs are demanding an investigation into alleged forced religious conversions in English and Welsh prisons after data showed white inmates make up 20% of the Muslim prison population. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/uk-mps-demand-probe-into-alleged-forced-prison-conversions ### 2026-08-24: UK ministers urged to investigate forced religious conversions in prisons Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy has urged a government investigation into reports of Muslim gangs forcing white prisoners to convert to Islam in England and Wales. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/uk-ministers-urged-to-investigate-forced-religious-conversions-in-prisons --- Cite as: Alleged forced religious conversions in UK prisons. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/alleged-forced-religious-conversions-in-uk-prisons