ACLU Sues Prison to Appease Muslims Over Meal Times
Posted on April 4, 2008
Update: Miriam answers my question…heh.
I’m sure I just don’t understand the strict requirements of the Muslim religion. If someone does their prayer time 20 minutes earlier or later than the exact, correct time of the day, is Allah not available to listen? Do they have a penalty placed on their prayer or something? I’m sure someone can show me something in the Koran where mutilation or decapitation is required for penance, but what I really don’t understand is how a prison providing meals and schedules to all their prisoners equally violates the First Amendment.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Thursday claiming that a Wyoming State Penitentiary policy restricting prisoners’ mealtimes violates the constitutional rights of two Muslim inmates.
The ACLU filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on behalf of Joseph Miller and Hurie Purdiman Jr., two inmates serving time at the penitentiary in Rawlins.
At issue is an alleged “20-minute rule” requiring inmates to eat their meals within 20 minutes after the food is delivered to a cell or common dining area, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit seeks for the inmates to be exempted from the rule because it forces them to choose between eating and practicing their religion.
Miller and Purdiman claim that meals have arrived at the same time of day that they’re practicing prayers according to their Muslim faith. On other occasions, meals arrived during a period of religious fasting and then were confiscated before the fast ended at sunset.
“If someone has started their prayer, unless they’re willing to interrupt their prayer and leave at that moment, they forgo their meal because (the guards) won’t go back and open their cell doors,” said Jennifer Horvath, staff attorney for Wyoming Chapter of the ACLU. “It’s not unreasonable to ask for some extra time to finish their meals. They have a right to practice their religion, and the prison has been treating it as a privilege.”
The lawsuit names Robert Lampert, director of the Department of Corrections, and Michael Murphy, warden of the Wyoming State Penitentiary. It claims the prison’s policy violates the First Amendment and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000.
Lampert said he hadn’t seen the lawsuit and couldn’t comment directly on its claims. But he said the prison has measures in place to accommodate inmates’ religious or health needs.
He said trays and utensils are generally collected less than 30 minutes from when they were delivered to inmates so the dishes can be washed in time for the next meal.
“If an inmate has a medical reason that requires additional time to consume their meal, we take that into account, or if it’s for a religious purpose, we accommodate those needs,” Lampert said. “I think those issues are pretty well addressed through our policy, but I’ll look and see what actual lawsuit alleges.”
So, someone please tell me how a prison providing meals and clean-up according to a schedule is Congress making a law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
» Filed Under 1st Amendment, ACLU, Church And State, Islam, News
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10 Responses to “ACLU Sues Prison to Appease Muslims Over Meal Times”
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I live in Wyoming, have friends that work there, and this is the first I have heard of this.
I’m passing it on to those that I know to see if I can hear back more on this.
Uh, isn’t it wrong to allow prayer or any kind of religiousity on government property?
Let the Muslims and the ACLU pound sand.
Hey, if these convicted criminals absolutely have a total first amendment right — in other words, if they haven’t lost ANY rights because they’re CONVICTED CRIMINALS, then shouldn’t we start another lawsuit saying that their second amendment rights have been violated while they’re in jail? Seems logical to me.
Ogre is exactly right…these criminals have lost their rights by due process…surely even the ACLU gets that…they are lucky I am not warden there…it would be Pork Pork and More Pork daily
Penal institutions are government properties…they are hypocriting themselves and their mission to vanquish all religious enities from state-funded and run property.
I still want the addresses of where these idiots live, “StACLU”, guys.
Tired of hearing about these mouthpieces, and not knowing where I can go to get right-in their Pinko faces.
Hey the ACLU is correct on this one guys, sorry to tell you.
Allah is a very busy deity, between coordinating bombers entering paradise (he personally does the orientation speech), enforcing rules about stonings and beheadings and tea time with satan, he really only has a very small window each day to hear prayers, so it is vitally important for his followers to be on time for prayers, and the ACLU is well aware of this plight because satan brought it up at the last board meeting asking them to intervene.
From what I understand when his followers are late with prayers on wednesday it cuts into satsn and allah’s canasta playing time, and allah is up 30 billion souls and satan just wants a chance to catch up.
Aren’t convicted felons supposed to suffer some inconvenience? Also, if they’re so religious, why are they in jail? Could they have done something “wrong”?
Surely not.
It has always amused me when some sharp character robs widows and orphans, murders his mother and buries her in the basement, and then when convicted demands kosher meals.
“I’m sure I just don’t understand the strict requirements of the Muslim religion.”
” If someone does their prayer time 20 minutes earlier or later than the exact, correct time of the day, is Allah not available to listen? Does they have a penalty placed on their prayer or something?
Muslims have to pray 5 times a day at set times. Rather like a Christian has to be in church on Sunday or a Jews do sabbath on Saturday. they cant do it at different times.
“I’m sure someone can show me something in the Koran where mutilation or decapitation is required for penance”
As I said earlier you sure dont know anything about the Muslim religion
What difference does it make whether anyone understands the Muslim religion or not? Religion is the key word. The ACLU is all about separation of church and state and yet they are filing this suit. What a bunch of hypocrits! Remember folks, that wonderful Bill Clinton appointed a past president of the ACLU to the Supreme Court. The ACLU knows no boundaries!
ACLU is against separation of church and state when it is convenient for them