According to Muslim leaders, sociologists and researchers, Muslims make up 60 to 70 percent of prisoners in France despite making up only 12 percent of the country’s total population.
The disparities are similar elsewhere in Europe. In Britain, Muslims account for 11 percent of prisoners and 3 percent of its population, according to the Justice Ministry. The Open Society Institute reported that Muslims from Morocco and Turkey make up 16 percent of the prison population in Belgium but only 2 percent of the general populace.
Muslims in Europe are mostly immigrants and are subjected to higher unemployment rates, poverty and poor education.
Racism in the European prison system parallels that of the United States, where one in nine African American men are incarcerated. Extreme racism—and the poverty and criminalization that come with it—are inherent components of any capitalist society.
