UK prison officials have reported that some inmates are converting to Islam to receive the protection of powerful Muslim gangs.

The chief inspector of prisons, Dame Anne Owers, has said that other convicts are converting to Islam to receive the benefits of being a Muslim prisoner, including specially prepared food and time off from work and education for prayers.

Ower's study, bases on interviews with Muslim prisoners and officials inside eight of Britain's jails, found the number of Muslim prisoners had risen from 5 percent of the population in the mid-1990s to 11 percent in 2008.

She said there had been some concerns that some non-Muslims, especially in youth prisons, may have been intimidated and forced to convert.

Dame Anne said it had become important for prison staff needs to engage effectively and treat Muslim prisoners with dignity so that their experience in prison would not lead to alienation or a path to extremism.