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| Convicted Killer Appeals Preaching Ban |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 01/16/2006 |
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A civil liberties group wants a Rhode Island prisoner serving a life sentence for murder to be allowed to preach at Christian services inside the prison. Wesley Spratt is incarcerated inside the maximum security unit of the state prison after he was convicted of fatally shooting a parking lot attendant a decade ago, according to court records. Spurred by what Spratt describes as a "calling" from God, he began preaching seven years ago at services in the prison chapel and cafeteria while under the supervision of a prison chaplain. But a new warden banned Spratt from preaching in 2003, saying that placing inmates in a position of authority -- like preaching -- could cause unrest. Spratt filed a federal lawsuit two years ago alleging that jail officials were violating a federal religious liberties law adopted in 2000. U.S. District Magistrate Judge Jacob Hagopian recently decided against Spratt, ruling that maintaining a safe prison is a valid reason to violate Spratt's religious liberty. The American Civil Liberties Union filed an appeal on Spratt's behalf last week. "There's been no evidence presented to the court that (Spratt's preaching) created any problem. It was purely a speculative concern about safety," said Steven Brown, executive director of the ACLU's Rhode Island branch. Although prison officials never presented evidence that Spratt's preaching had caused any trouble, Hagopian said the warden can act "preemptively." But Brown argues the prison is violating the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which grants certain religious rights to prisoners and requires that the government prove they have a "compelling interest" before infringing on a person's religious practice. The same law also requires the government to first use the least coercive restrictions when protecting a "compelling interest," Brown said. |
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