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| Supreme Court to review inmate freedom law |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 10/13/2004 |
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The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to consider the constitutionality of a federal law that requires state prisons to accommodate inmate religions, from Christianity to Satanism. The case does not question inmates' right to practice their religion, but asks whether states have to accommodate requests for a particular diet, special haircut or religious symbols. Some states argue that a 2000 law intended to protect the rights of prisoners amounts to an unconstitutional government promotion of religion - and that it makes prisons more dangerous. States that receive federal funds must accommodate prisoners' religious beliefs unless wardens can show that the government has a strong reason not to, under a 2000 law. The Supreme Court will consider an appeal from Ohio inmates, described as a Wiccan witch, a Satanist, a racial separatist who is an ordained minister of the Christian Identity Church, and others. The state inmates had sued claiming they were denied access to religious literature and ceremonial items. The Cincinnati based-6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals used their case to strike down the law, called the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, on grounds that it violates the separation of church and state. The case is Cutter v. Wilkinson, 03-9877 |
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