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ACLU Sues Federal Prison To Get More Group Prayer Times for Muslim Inmates

By Howard M. Friedman

Last week, the ACLU filed suit in an Indiana federal district court challenging the policy at a federal prison unit in Terre Haute (IN) that limits group prayer by Muslim inmates to one hour per week on Fridays. AP reported yesterday that the lawsuit, brought under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, focuses on the high security Communications Management Unit where 30 of the prison's 40 Muslim inmates are housed to control their contacts with outsiders. The two plaintiffs were convicted of crimes related to supporting Islamic military groups. The lawsuit says that prisoners are allowed out of their cells for other group activities, such as watching TV or playing cards, but cannot engage in group prayer. The suit asks the court to reinstate a former policy that allowed daily group prayer in the unit's multipurpose room.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on June 24, 2009 (boomark / email).