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| Virginia's Prison Grooming Policy Challenged |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 02/24/2003 |
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A claim filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court on behalf of three Rastafarian and three Muslim inmates contends that the grooming policy of the Virginia Department of Corrections violates a federal law protecting religious freedom. The suit alleges the Department of Corrections is violating the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act passed by Congress three years ago. The act would apply to the Department of Corrections because it receives federal funds, said Kent Willis, executive director of the civil liberties group. The 1999 grooming policy requires that male inmates' hair be short and neatly cut while beards, goatees and sideburns below the middle of the ear are not allowed. Mustaches are permitted, but they 'must be neatly trimmed and must not extend beyond the corner of the mouth or over the lip.' The department says the policy was enacted to help identify inmates who could otherwise change their appearances from the mug shots taken when they first entered the system. It is also aimed at controlling their ability to hide and move contraband in their hair. There are 23 inmates, out of nearly 31,000, who are not complying, said Larry Traylor, spokesman for the Department of Corrections. The 23 are all male and are being held in segregation cells, he said. |
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