Freedom of Religion in Prison
Yesterday on IowaIndependant.com, Lynda Waddington reported on an 8th Circuit Court of Appeals decision on three prisoners' rights to observe their religious holiday at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison. The three plaintiffs are Wiccan, and sought 8 full hours to observe Samhain, their most important day of religious observance, which takes place at the end of October. The inmates brought their suit under the Free Exercise Clause under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Appellate Court ruled that 3 hours was a sufficient amount of time to observe the holiday, especially given the timing and safety constraints within which the prison officials must operate. The Iowa Department of Corrections officially recognizes approximately 12 other religions.
