Jihadists in jail: Radicalisation and the Indonesian prison experience – Australian Strategic Policy Institute. May 19, 2011

Greg Sheridan – Terrorists have set up shadow governments in Indonesian prisons, recruiting members, sending money from jail to jail and, at least once, coordinating an attack outside.

They run businesses, use mobile phones to preach sermons to followers outside and dominate prison mosques, says a report released last night by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

In Jihadists in Jail, Carl Ungerer paints a picture of terrorists manipulating the prison system and displaying a disturbing degree of freedom of movement.

This has substantial operational consequences that have strengthened the terrorist threat, producing friendships and alliances among terrorists that cross over traditional organisational lines.

For example, members of previously hostile groups, such as Jemaah Islamiah and Darul Islam, are co-operating with each other in the pursuit of jihad.

Dr Ungerer's research is based on extensive interviews conducted on his behalf with more than 30 militants either in prison or police detention.

In his report, he writes that terrorists "run small businesses in prison, from selling top-up cards for mobile phones to setting up food stalls selling rice, cooking oil and sugar".

Inmates of Cipinang prison in Jakarta have sent money to their comrades in Batu Prison on the island of Nusakambangan, which is known as the Alcatraz of Indonesia. Mobile phones and other contraband are readily smuggled into terrorist prisoners.

In the worst case, a warder at Keborokan Jail, Benni Irawan, in 2005 smuggled a laptop in to Bali bomber Imam Samudra, who was on death row. "It was subsequently revealed that the laptop was used by Samudra to chat with other militants and help plan the second Bali bombing," the report says.

Samudra and fellow conspirators Amrozi bin Nurhasyim and Ali Ghufron were executed by firing squad on Nusakambangan on November 9, 2008. The report finds prison is not an effective deterrent and has not succeeded in changing the attitude of many convicted terrorists towards jihadist violence.

"The prestige of terrorist convicts also helps boost their reputation and influence in prison," the report says.

"Those convicted on terrorism charges are usually regarded by everyone around them as pious men willing to lay down their lives for their religion and, as such, find themselves accorded great respect. Further enhancing the standing of the terrorist convicts is their reputation of being dangerous."

One of the key concerns to emerge in the report is the role of prison mosques. "Being active in the mosque is one the ways convicts can secure their release based on good behaviour," the ASPI report says.

Convicted terrorists dominate the prison mosques by holding Koranic discussion groups and preaching to each other and fellow inmates.

Indonesia has arrested nearly 700 people over the past decade on terrorist charges and more than 200 are behind bars.

The report notes that the majority of the released prisoners have not re-offended, but that much recent terrorist activity – directed at police and at Christian and other non-Muslim groups – has been led by former convicts and recidivism rates are increasing. Some were completely unrepentant.

Fajar Taslam, convicted of killing a Christian teacher in 2005 and attempting to kill a Catholic priest in 2007, said that "if he were released today he would bomb the US embassy in Jakarta".

Sonhadi, convicted for harbouring JI bombmaker Noordin Top, said that ex-prisoners "hold an elevated status in society after serving time behind bars".

Others have marriages arranged for them while in jail.

Indonesian prison de-radicalisation programs have been ineffective. The report finds many prisoners had not being exposed to them, others say they were "just talk" and still others resist involvement in them altogether.

While Australia did not work on recidivism programs, a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said Australian officials worked with the Indonesian Directorate General of Corrections to assist more generally in prison reform.