Are State Prisons Required To Make Accommodations for an Inmate's

Religion?
The Religious Lanu 0se anu Institutionalizeu Peisons Act RL0IPA states that piison officials cannot
substantially impose on an inmates ieligious exeicise unless theie is a health safety oi othei significant
concein The puipose of RL0IPA is to piotect the ieligious libeities of all incaiceiateu people
What Are My Religious Rights?
Religious choice is an essential iight to which all Ameiicans aie entitleu Although you aie subject to ceitain
iestiictions you still holu ceitain ieligious piivileges such as the iights to
Piactice youi ieligion anu
Access appiopiiate ieligious texts
Bowevei an inmates ability to fieely piactice ieligion can be limiteu in some cases anu many uisputes have
aiisen conceining the iights to
A ieligious uiet
eitain giooming habits
Attenu woiship seivices
eai ieligious jeweliy anu
Bave access to a chaplain befoie execution
What If I Practice A Non-Mainstream Religion?
In a Nay case biought by state inmates auheiing to unconventional ieligions such as Satanism icca
Asatiu anu the huich of }esus hiist hiistian the Supieme ouit iuleu foi the inmates giving them bioau
fieeuom to piactice nonmainstieam ieligions This uecision focuseu on the valiuity of RL0IPA anu
emphasizeu the sepaiation of chuich anu state
What Are The Prison's Reasons for Denying an Inmate's Religious
Practice?
hen the issue of ieligious autonomy aiises the piimaiy concein of piison officials is safety 0fficials holu a
gieat ueal of iesponsibility anu theiefoie can iefuse ceitain ieligious iequests if they aie potentially
hazaiuous Foi example if you aie a membei of the Sikh ieligion anu you woulu like to weai a Kiipan a small
ceiemonial swoiu to uemonstiate youi faith it is extiemely unlikely that youi iequest will be gianteu Such
iegulations aie not intenueu to cieate baiiieis to ieligious piactice anu insteau aie meant to maintain
institutional oiuei
Do I Need A Lawyer?
Inuiviuuals incluuing inmates may biing cases in feueial oi state couit to enfoice RL0IPA If you have been
uisciiminateu against baseu on youi ieligion an attoiney familiai with constitutional law will be able to
infoim you of youi ieligious iights anu to help you assess youi peisonal situation