Federal appeals panel upholds law protecting inmates' religious freedom
By The Associated Press
01.02.03
SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court panel has upheld a lower court's ruling that a federal law protecting the religious freedom of inmates and others is constitutional.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Dec. 27 against California prison officials in a lawsuit originally brought in 1996 by a group of Muslim inmates who alleged that they were penalized for attending Friday afternoon religious services.
When the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 passed, the inmates added a claim to their suit under the law. The law prohibits the government from putting a burden on people exercising their freedom of religion unless there's a compelling government interest. It applies to inmates and other people in institutions that receive federal funding.
The inmates had won a series of preliminary injunctions allowing them to attend the services without penalty.
The state prison officials challenged the constitutionality of the law on various grounds, saying, among other things, that it exceeded Congress' authority to set conditions on federal funds.
But the three-judge panel said the act "does not regulate the operation of prisons." It simply "prohibits prison officials from unduly burdening inmates' free exercise of religion."
The case is Mayweathers v. Newland.