Kifah Jayyousi, a former federal prisoner, is among those speaking out against a law enforcement strategy they believe unfairly targets Muslims. Jayyousi was convicted of conspiracy to murder, kidnap and maim people overseas and two counts of providing material support to terrorists. He was held in a “communication management” unit in Terre Haute, In. These special units are sometimes the last step in a law enforcement strategy, escalated after 9/11, to prosecute individuals or organizations whose beliefs, ideology or religious affiliations raise security concerns for the government, says the Coalition For Civil Freedoms, an advocacy group. Critics say this strategy has led to penalties that far outweigh the crimes, and many of those affected are Muslim, the Chicago Tribune reports. When you use the word “terrorism,” people aren’t upset about harsh prison conditions, so there has been little public outcry, said Rachel Meeropol, one of Jayyousi’s attorneys.
The Terre Haute prison unit is one of only two communication management units in the federal system; the other is in Marion, Il. Condition are harsh, critics contend: Phone calls and visits are severely limited. All visits are monitored, physical contact is barred and conversation must be in English. The special prison units have become known as “Guantanamo North” for their historically high rates of Muslim prisoners — 70 percent when they opened, says the Center for Constitutional Rights. A lawsuit filed by the center in 2010 on behalf of Jayyousi and other inmates called the units “an experiment in social isolation” and argued that this kind of incarceration is unlawful. A judge ruled last month that Jayyousi, the only remaining plaintiff, may still deserve relief. Attorneys are arguing that he would benefit from having the records of his transfer to the special prison unit expunged.