California: Out of 3832 inmates at Solano prison, 5% are practicing Muslims.
Talking about the Islam, Jesse “Hasani” Burleson, Inmate, California State Prison Solana who was imprisoned for 31 years said that after converting to Islam, he understood what is right and wrong, dos and don’ts etc.
It may be mentioned that in the US, there are more than 2.3 million people behind the bar, the largest prison population among the developed nations.
Despite strict rules and regulation, inmates manage to find time to practice Islam.
Giving the details of the importance of religion, Mr. Muhammad Ali, Chaplain, CA Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation said, “Religion is important to inmates because it connects them to something bigger than their circumstance”.
It may be noted that Islam has a strong presence in prison in the US. More people are converting to Islam every year.
For the past many years, Muslims fought legally with the administration for the right to practice Islam in prison.
Another reason for inmates to convert to Islam is the prisons’ organization. Inmates face the threat of violence and brothers in faith protect them behind bars.