AELE LAW LIBRARY OF CASE SUMMARIES:
Corrections Law for
Jails, Prisons and Detention Facilities
Personal Appearance
Monthly Law Journal Article: Religious Freedom in Correctional Facilities (II) --Appearance and Apparel 2007 (4) AELE Mo. L. J. 301.
A prisoner who is
a member of the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem took a "Nazirite
vow," that committed him not to cut his hair. When he had to appear
in court, the prison gave him a choice of either having a haircut to cut
his dreadlocks or segregation as a punishment for avoiding his scheduled
trip to court. He chose the haircut, but claimed that this violated his
right to religious freedom. A federal appeals court rejected this claim,
noting that the "Nazirite vow" was an optional rather than mandatory
observance of his religion and that past precedent recognizes the validity
of rules regulating prisoner's hairstyles for reasons of security. Lewis
v. Sternes, #11-3297, 2013 U.S. App. Lexis 6154 (7th Cir.).
It was against a
Rastafarian prisoner's religious beliefs to comb or cut his hair, which
he wore in dreadlocks. When he learned that his mother had cancer, he asked
for a transfer to another facility closer to her, which was granted. When
he was to be transported to his new facility, an officer allegedly refused
to permit him to board the transport vehicle when he declined to comply
with a state correctional policy requiring him to comb out his dreadlocks.
The officer's supervisor then presented the plaintiff with a choice of
either cutting his hair or not going through with the approved transfer.
The prisoner offered instead to let the officers pat down his hair and
use a metal detector to make sure that no contraband was hidden there.
The transfer was canceled and the prisoner placed in administrative segregation.
He was later transferred, after he cut his hair. A federal appeals court
upheld the dismissal of his lawsuit, finding no violation of his right
to religious freedom, despite his argument that he was improperly forced
to choose between violating his religious beliefs and going to a prison
closer to his ill mother. The officers were entitled to qualified immunity,
as it was not clearly established that enforcement of the policy that hair
be cut or combed out violated the prisoner's rights. Stewart v. Beach,
#12-3013, 2012 U.S. App. Lexis 25846 (10th Cir.).
Because failure to grow a beard was considered
a sin equivalent in severity to eating pork for a Muslim inmate, his lawsuit
over a policy prohibiting him from growing a one-eighth inch beard stated
a claim for violation of his right to religious freedom. Prison officials
failed to adequately explain how their policy was justified by health or
security concerns, or that they used the least restrictive means of satisfying
a compelling governmental interest. Couch v. Jabe, #11-6560, 2012 U.S.
App. Lexis 9602 (4th Cir.).
After a prison chaplain allegedly advised
him that only Rastafarianism requires the growing of dreadlocks, a correctional
officer ordered that an African Hebrew Israelite inmate's dreadlocks be
sheared. Summary judgment for the defendant officer was reversed. "Since
heresy is not excluded from the protection of the free exercise clause,
optional as distinct from mandatory religious observations aren't excluded
either." If the prisoner's desire to grow dreadlocks was based on
a sincere religious belief, it was entitled to protection, even if unorthodox,
particularly if followers of another religion were allowed to wear dreadlocks.
Grayson v. Schuler, #10-3256, 2012 U.S. App. Lexis 730 (7th Cir.).
A Rastafarian prisoner claimed that a corrections
officer violated his religious rights by touching his dreadlock hair without
permission. While the jury held in favor of the prisoner, they only awarded
nominal damages of $1. Under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1997e(d)(2) of the Prison Litigation
Reform Act (PLRA), the court's award of attorney's fees to the prevailing
plaintiff were limited to 150% of the damage award, or $1.50. The appeals
court noted that Congress, in granting a statutory right for prevailing
plaintiffs in federal civil rights lawsuits to be granted attorneys' fees,
departed from the normal rule in U.S. courts that litigants all pay their
own attorneys' fees. It was accordingly also free to put a cap on such
fees in cases brought by prisoners. Shepherd v. Goord, #10-4821, 2011
U.S. App. Lexis 22928 (2nd Cir.).
An Orthodox Jewish prisoner failed to show
that a prison's shaving policy, which limited beards to a length of 1/4
of an inch, violated his right to religious freedom. The policy was rationally
related to a legitimate and substantial interest in maintaining prison
security, and was the least restrictive means of accomplishing that objective.
Kuperman v. Wrenn, #10-2083, 645 F.3d 69 (1st Cir. 2011).
A federal appeals court found that a prisoner
had sufficiently alleged that disciplining him for refusing to comply with
prison body-piercing regulations imposed a substantial burden on the exercise
of his religious beliefs. The trial court had determined that these beliefs
were sincerely held. The appeals court ordered further proceedings on whether
the piercing regulation was the least restrictive means of furthering a
compelling government interest. Cortez v. Noll, #09-15690, 2010 U.S. App.
Lexis 20583 (Unpub. 9th Cir.).
A California prisoner received several disciplinary
citations for wearing a beard that he asserted he had to have for religious
reasons. The regulations that prohibited the beard were amended so that
his beard was no longer prohibited, but the disciplinary citations remained
in his prison file, and he wanted them expunged, based on the Religious
Land Use and Institutionalized Person's Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2000cc, et
seq. ("RLUIPA"). A federal appeals court ruled that the trial
court improperly dismissed this claim. The state did not argue that the
prisoner's rights under the statute had not been violated when the discipline
occurred, and the fact that the citations remained in his file, and that
harmful references to them could potentially be made, meant that his claim
was not moot because the policy in question had been modified. His claims
for expungement and injunctive relief would be considered upon remand.
Quillar v. Calif. Dept. of Corrections, #08-15414, 2010 U.S. App. Lexis
17462 (Unpub. 9th Cir.).
A California state prisoner claimed that
prison grooming regulations violated his right to religious freedom. While
the trial court initially issued a preliminary injunction against the enforcement
of the regulations, ultimately it dismissed the prisoner's claims for lack
of jurisdiction. It then nevertheless awarded the plaintiff prisoner attorneys'
fees. A federal appeals court ruled that the attorneys' fee award was erroneous
when the trial court never found an actual violation of the prisoner's
rights. Kimbrough v. State of Cal.; #08-17231, 2010 U.S. App. Lexis 13039
(9th Cir.).
An Illinois prisoner argued that forcing
him to cut his dreadlocks, which he wore for religious reasons, violated
his constitutional and statutory rights. The court found, however, that
the policy at issue was justified by undisputed evidence that matted hair
created a danger to both guards and officers from concealed weapons and
other contraband. The court also found no evidence of unlawful "retaliation"
in punishing the prisoner for disobeying direct orders to cut his hair,
and commented that the prisoner's claim that prison authorities inconsistently
implemented their hair length policy did not show a constitutional violation
in the absence of any evidence that deviations from the policy were for
illegitimate reasons. Williams v. Snyder, #08-1908, 2010 U.S. App. Lexis
4777 (Unpub. 7th Cir.).
A Native American prisoner's claims that
his right to religious freedom was violated by regulations limiting his
hair length and limiting his wearing of a medicine pouch were reinstated
by a federal appeals court. The court ruled that the trial court had failed
to consider whether wearing a small patch of long hair as a "kouplock"
instead of a full head of long hair actually posed a security risk and
failed to apply the proper "compelling governmental interest"
and "least restrictive alternative" requirements to the medicine
pouch restrictions. Odneal v. Pierce, #06-41165, 2009 U.S. App. Lexis 7096
(Unpub. 5th Cir.).
A prison policy prohibiting all inmates from
wearing beards unless they had a medical exception, which contained no
religious exception, was properly upheld by the trial court based on security
and discipline concerns, including the need to properly identify inmates
and the possibility that contraband and weapons could be carried in beards.
A proposed alternative policy allowing a religious exception for quarter-inch
beards was not financially or administratively feasible, and the existing
policy was therefore the "least restrictive means" of satisfying
the discipline and security concerns. Gooden v. Crain, #08-40966, 2009
U.S. App. Lexis 25656 (Unpub. 5th Cir.).
A Texas prisoner claimed that he had pseudofolliculitis
barbae (PFB), a medical condition on the basis of which he was issued a
clipper shave pass (CSP) which constituted permission not to shave and
to maintain a 1/4" beard. He further claimed that prison employees
improperly threatened him with disciplinary action for failing to shave,
imposed discipline on him on that basis, and declined to renew his CSP
in retaliation for his complaints. These claims were all rejected, as the
record indicated that the discipline was imposed for failing to maintain
a 1/4" beard, not for failure to be clean-shaven. He also failed to
show that his medical condition was serious and posed a risk of substantial
harm, or that he was subjected to retaliation. James v. Ramirez, No. 07-50674,
2009 U.S. App. Lexis 83 (Unpub. 5th Cir.).
The hair length and facial hair policies
of the Arkansas Department of Corrections were justified by the need to
minimize the smuggling of contraband and reduce opportunities for prisoners
disguising themselves by removing hair, and did not violate religious freedom
rights under the First Amendment or under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized
Persons Act (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C. Sec. 2000cc et seq. The court also rejected
an equal protection claim based on valid reasons for differing hair length
requirements for men and women. Additionally, there was evidence that longer
beards created security and safety concerns absent when a prisoner is either
clean shaven or has facial hair no longer than quarter-inch long. Appeals
court also upholds an award of $1,500 to a prisoner on a claim that he
was improperly not provided with Kosher meals. Fegans v. Norris, No. 06-3473,
2008 U.S. App. Lexis 17072 (8th Cir.).
The New Jersey Department of Corrections'
training academy no-facial hair policy was facially neutral and only incidentally
burdened religious conduct. It was rationally related to compliance with
federal and state health regulations concerning the use of respirator masks
and to a concern about the esprit de corps, which comes from uniformity
of appearance. It therefore did not violate the rights of a Muslim trainee
removed from the training program when he failed, on three separate occasions,
to keep his beard within parameters allowed to him as an accommodation
of his religion. The policy would be lawful, the court stated, under any
standard of review, including strict scrutiny. Valdes v. New Jersey, No.
07-2971, 2008 U.S. App. Lexis 17380 (Unpub. 3rd Cir.).
Rastafarian prisoner presented a viable claim
that his clearly established constitutional right to religious freedom
and his federal statutory rights under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized
Persons Act (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C. Sec. 2000cc-1(1)(1), (2) were violated
by a prohibition on him growing his hair in dreadlocks. The warden was
found to have acted in an objectively unreasonable manner in insisting
that the prisoner be prohibited from growing dreadlocks. Further, the court
reasoned that a decision by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
to provide religious exceptions for hair grooming in its grooming code
supported the prisoner's argument that growing his hair into dreadlocks
was a legitimate part of his exercise of his religion. The warden failed
to show that the dreadlocks would constitute a security problem. Johnson
v. Collins, No. 3:07 CV 211, 2008 U.S. Dist. Lexis 52127 (N.D. Ohio).
Two Rastafarian prisoners and three Muslim
prisoners claimed that an inmate grooming policy prohibiting them from
wearing beards violated their rights under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized
Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C.S. §§ 2000cc to 2000cc-5.
A federal appeals court rejected these claims, based on a record and established
case law showing a need for suppressing contraband, maintaining discipline
and security, maintaining inmate and staff health and safety, and preventing
prisoners from quickly changing their appearance. The court also found
that a suggested "less restrictive means" of serving these "compelling
governmental interests," which was transferring inmates with such
religious beliefs to other prison systems without similar grooming policies,
was not "workable." McRae v. Johnson, No. 06-7548, 2008 U.S.
App. Lexis 246 (4th Cir.).
California prison officials were entitled
to qualified immunity for the discipline of a Sikh inmate in 2001 and 2002
for refusing to cut his hair since it was not clearly established until
2005 in Warsoldier v. Woodford, No. 04-55879, 418 F.3d 989 (9th Cir. 2005),
that a regulation requiring inmates to have short hair imposed a substantial
burden on an inmate's practice of religion under the Religious Land Use
and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C.S. § 2000cc-1(a).
Haley v. Donovan, No. 06-55856, 2007 U.S. App. Lexis 23236 (9th Cir.).
Grooming regulation that required a Rastafarian
prisoner to cut his hair to a specified maximum length, in violation of
his religious beliefs, did not violate his First Amendment rights because
it was reasonably related to legitimate penological interests. Additionally
it was not clearly established that it would violate a prisoner's Eighth
and Fourteenth Amendment rights to subject him to discipline for violating
the regulation, so that the defendants were entitled to qualified immunity
on those claims. The court's decision did not discuss the merits of the
prisoner's claims under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons
Act RLUIPA, 42 U.S.C. § 2000cc(a)(1), which remains pending. Hypolite
v. California Dept. of Corrections, No. CIV S-05-0428, 2007 U.S. Dist.
Lexis 55317 (E.D. Cal.).
State prison's grooming policy did not violate
a Rastafarian prisoner's rights to religious freedom under either the First
Amendment or the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act,
42 U.S.C. Sec. 2000cc by punishing him for his religious practice of wearing
his hair and beard uncut. The policy furthered compelling governmental
interests in inmate identification, inmate health, staff safety, and institutional
security, and the proposal that a religious exception to the policy be
granted was not workable. Ragland v. Angelone, No. 7:02 CV 00786, 420 F.
Supp. 2d 507 (W.D. Va. 2006). [N/R]
While inmate's belief that "the Creator
Yahweh" mandated that he should not cut his hair was a sincerely held
religious belief, a prison policy which limited "Afro style"
hair length to four inches was reasonably related to legitimate prison
interests in preventing the concealment and transportation of contraband,
aiding in the identification of inmates, and improving inmate hygiene.
These legitimate interests outweighed any rights the prisoner had to wear
his hair in long dreadlocks. Meggett v. Pennsylvania Dept. of Corrections,
892 A.2d 872 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2006). [N/R]
Texas state prison policy prohibiting a Muslim
prisoner from having a beard did not violate his right to religious freedom
under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA),
42 U.S.C. Sec. 2000cc, because of the need for accurate pictures of inmates
for security purposes. Additionally, he was not denied equal protection
by the fact that inmates with certain skin conditions were allowed to have
quarter-inch beards, since the policy prohibiting beards for other reasons
was equally applied to all religious groups and was adopted for security
purposes. Gooden v. Crain, No. 6:04cv127, 405 F. Supp. 2d 714 (E.D. Tex.
2005). [N/R]
New York prison regulations prohibiting a
prisoner from wearing "corn row" braids if the hair went below
the "natural hairline" did not violate his free speech or his
equal protection rights as an African-American, but were justified by valid
penological interests in security, including preventing prisoners from
quickly changing their appearance after an escape and facilitating searches
of hair for contraband. Towles v. Eagen, 799 N.Y.S.2d 715 (Sup. 2005).
[N/R]
Overturning injunction allowing Native American
prisoner to wear a "kouplock" (a square section at the base of
the skull where the hair is allowed to grow long), federal appeals court
finds that the trial judge failed to give proper deference to prison officials
on the issue of whether long hair on a prisoner presented security problems.
Hoevenaar v. Lazaroff, No. 03-4119, 2005 U.S. App. Lexis 19361 (6th Cir.).
[2005 JB Oct]
Native American inmate was improperly denied
an injunction against California hair grooming policy which failed to provide
a relig ious exemption to short hair requirement. Correctional officials
failed to adequately show that this was the least restrictive means of
achieving compelling interests in prison security. Warsoldier v. Woodford,
No. 04-55879, 2005 U.S. App. Lexis 15599 (9th Cir.). [2005 JB Sep]
Prisoner who is an adherent of the Hebrew
Israelite/Nazarite religious group and wears "dreadlocks" as
a result, stated a claim for violation of his right to practice his religion
in challenging prison policy which limits "Afro style" hair to
four inches in length. Trial court finds that there was a viable claim
that the prisoner was entitled to a religious exemption from this grooming
policy based on his sincerely held religious beliefs. Meggett v. Pa. Dept.
of Corrections, 856 A.2d 277 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2004). [N/R]
California prison regulation which prohibiting
inmates from wearing long hair was reasonably related to legitimate penological
interests such as security, hygiene, prison workplace safety, and prevention
of escapes. Accordingly, the regulation did not violate either the First
Amendment of a Native American prisoner or a federal statute concerning
Native American religious freedom. Henderson v. Terhune, #02-17224, 2004
U.S. App. Lexis 16613 (9th Cir. 2004). [2004 JB Oct]
A policy of disciplining Muslim prisoners
who missed their work assignments so that they could attend an hour long
Friday Sabbath worship service violated their rights under the Religious
Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) 42 U.S.C. Sec. 2000cc,
because this was not the least restrictive means of satisfying a compelling
governmental interest in keeping prisoners occupied or of using their labor
to support the upkeep of the prison. Court also rejects prison grooming
policy that imposed penalties on Muslim prisoners who refused to shave
their beards for religious reasons, as prison officials also failed to
show that this was the least restrictive means of addressing concerns about
prisoners' ability to quickly change their appearance after escape. Mayweathers
v. Terhune, 328 F. Supp. 2d 1086 (E.D. Cal. 2004). [N/R]
Correctional employee's "non-theistic"
spiritual belief that he should not cut his hair was not a protected religious
belief sufficient to challenge the state correctional department's grooming
policy, since it was merely based on his own "personal and philosophical"
choices. His desire to "live simply and avoid excessive pride"
did not qualify for a possible religious exemption from the grooming policy.
Luken v. Brigano, #CA2003-01-007, 797 N.E.2d 1047 (Ohio. App. 12 Dist.
2003). [N/R]
Rastafarian prisoner's equal protection challenge
against California prison hair length regulation should not have been dismissed
for failure to exhaust available administrative remedies when defendant
prison officials failed to establish such a failure to exhaust. Federal
appeals court rules that failure to exhaust is a defense, with the burden
on the defendants to establish it. Wyatt v. Terhune, #00-16568, 305 F.3d
1033 (9th Cir. 2002). [2003 JB Feb.]
Federal Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) action of
housing federal prisoners who were Rastafarians or Muslims in Virginia
state facilities with a grooming policy prohibiting long hair and beards
violated the prisoners' rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration
Act. Court orders BOP to transfer such prisoners to other facilities. Gartrell
v. Ashcroft, 191 F. Supp. 2d 23 (D.D.C. 2002). [2002 JB Aug]
Rastafarian prisoner's claim that prison's
denial of his request to wear dreadlocks violated his right to religious
freedom and constituted sex discrimination was improperly dismissed by
trial court without fair notice and opportunity to be heard being provided
to prisoner, who was acting as his own lawyer. Appeals court also rules
that exhaustion of remedies provision of Prison Litigation Reform Act is
an affirmative defense, rather than a pleading requirement, with the burden
on the defendants to show non-exhaustion. Wyatt v. Terhune, #00-16568,
280 F.3d 1238 (9th Cir. 2002). [2002 JB Jun]
299:174 Muslim prisoner could pursue claim
that his equal protection rights were violated by prison allowing inmates
with certain medical conditions to wear three-quarter-inch beards while
denying his request to wear a one-quarter-inch beard for religious purposes.
Taylor v. Johnson, #00-21155, 257 F.2d 470 (5th Cir. 2001).
290:26 Requirement that Muslim prisoner be
clean shaven, and not allowing him even a 1/4 inch beard, was not a violation
of his rights, despite allowance of 3/4 inch beards for inmates with medical
conditions aggravated by shaving. Green v. Polunsky, No. 00-40156, 229
F.3d 486 (5th Cir. 2000).
EDITOR'S NOTE: Other federal appeals courts
considering the issue of short beards have upheld prison grooming policies.
See Hines v. South Darolina Dept. of Corrections, 148 F.3d 353 (4th Cir.
1998); Harris v. Chapman, 97 F.3d 499 (11th Cir. 1996); and Friedman v.
Arizona, 912 F.2d 328 (9th Cir. 1990).
It should also be noted that the above decision,
while dated Oct. 18, 2000, almost a month after the enactment of the new
federal "Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act,"
Public Law 106-274 (Sep. 22, 2000), see Jail & Prisoner Law Bulletin
No. 287, p. 173 (Nov. 2000), does not apply the legal test stated in that
statute, requiring that an action that imposes a substantial burden on
religious practices or beliefs must be justified as in furtherance of a
"compelling governmental interest" and used the "least restrictive
means" of furthering that interest.
294:93 Virginia prison policy mandating short
hair, which had no exception for religious objections, upheld by federal
court as "neutral" policy with only "incidental" impact
on religious practices; court rejects claim that different hair length
standards for male and female prisoners violates equal protection. DeBlasio
v. Johnson, 128 F. Supp. 2d 315 (E.D. Va. 2000).
284:118 Native American correctional officer
should be allowed to wear his hair long (but pinned under his cap) to accommodate
his religion, Ohio Supreme Court holds. Humphrey v. Lane, #99-206, 728
N.E.2d 1039 (Ohio 2000).
277:10 Rastafarian prisoner's claim that
prison requirement that he cut his hair violated his religious rights was
not "frivolous" when there was, as of now, no evidence in the
record concerning any security concerns which justified the requirement.
Cofer v. Schriro, #99-1852, 176 F.3d 1082 (8th Cir. 1999).
EDITOR'S NOTE: See also Williams v. Norris,
No. 99-1743, 176 F.3d 1089 (8th Cir. 1999). (Rastafarian prisoner's lawsuit
against prison rule prohibiting him from wearing his hair in "dreadlocks"
was improperly dismissed because prisoner complied with Prison Litigation
Reform Act's "exhaustion of administrative remedies" requirement,
since his grievance had been denied by the Warden and the Assistant Director
of the state Department of Corrections at the time the court acted).
229:7 Federal trial court rejects N.Y. correctional
department's arguments that requiring Rastafarian correctional officers
to cut their modified dreadlocks furthered a compelling governmental interest
in security, discipline and esprit de corps. Brown v. Keane, 888 F.Supp.
568 (S.D.N.Y. 1995).
237:139 Absolute prohibition on Muslim inmate
wearing a beard violated Religious Freedom Restoration Act when inmate
sincerely believed his religion required him to do so, even if there was
evidence that the Koran did not require this; complete ban on beards was
not "least restrictive means" of satisfying security interests,
when warden testified that a 1/4" beard would not be a security problem
and were already allowed for medical reasons; defendants entitled to qualified
immunity from liability, however. Lewis v. Scott, 910 F.Supp. 282 (E.D.
Tex. 1995).
224:124 Native American prisoner's religious
freedom rights were not violated by requirement that he cut his hair short
and keep his medicine pouch and headband stored in his cell. Diaz v. Collins,
872 F.Supp. 353 (E.D. Tex. 1994).
Rules requiring Native American inmate to
cut his hair, as well as prohibiting his possession of various religious
articles while in administrative segregation, did not violate his rights
and were based on legitimate security concerns. Bettis v. Delo, 14 F.3d
22 (8th Cir. 1994).
Federal appeals court upholds award of damages
to four black Iowa inmates ordered to cut their "shag" haircuts;
prison officials' claim that they were attempting to curtail gang activity
is ruled "pretextual." Quinn v. Nix, 983 F.2d 115 (8th Cir. 1993).
Prisoners who claimed a sincere religious
belief against cutting hair were entitled to preliminary injunction against
application of prison grooming code forbidding hair more than three inches
in length. Longstreth v. Maynard, 961 F.2d 895 (10th Cir. 1992).
Prison rule requiring short hair was justified
by legitimate security concerns and therefore did not violate religious
freedom rights of Rastafarian inmates. Scott v. Mississippi Dept. of Corrections,
961 F.2d 77 (5th Cir. 1992).
Prison prohibition on long hair and beards
did not violate prisoners' right to free exercise of religion; grooming
regulation was rationally related to legitimate prison security and hygiene
concerns. Powell v. Estelle, 959 F.2d 22 (5th Cir. 1992).
Prison rules requiring haircuts and requiring
clean shaven appearance for identification photographs did not violate
prisoners' religious rights because of a strong interest in preventing
escapes. Harris v. Dugger, 757 F.Supp. 1359 (S.D. Fla. 1991); Perry v.
Davies, 757 F.Supp. 1223 (D. Kan. 1991).
Rastafarian inmates could not be required
to cut their "dreadlocks," but could be prohibited from wearing
religious "crowns." Benjamin v. Coughlin, 905 F.2d 571 (2nd Cir.
1990), cert. denied, 111 S.Ct. 372 (1990).
Prison policy prohibiting inmate beards over
two inches long did not violate religious freedom rights of Aryan Nation
church member. Dunavant v. Moore, 907 F.2d 77 (8th Cir. 1990).
Prison officials failed to justify treating
one religious group different from others who were exempted from prison
grooming policies against long hair and beards. Swift v. Lewis, 901 F.2d
730 (9th Cir. 1990).
Requiring Rastafarian inmate to get haircut
for identification photograph violated religious freedom. Benjamin v. Coughlin,
708 F.Supp. 570 (S.D.N.Y. 1989).
Valid security interests outweighed any right
of inmate to grow hair long as required by American Indian religion. Pollock
v. Marshall, 845 F.2d 656 (6th Cir. 1988).
Prohibiting "dreadlock" hairstyle
of inmates supported by security reasons; guard may be present at inmate
religious meetings. Reed v. Faulkner, 653 F. Sup. 965 (N.D. Ind. 1987).
Prison regulation prohibiting beards was
valid; no infringement on religion. McFadden v. Lucas, 713 F.2d 143 (5th
Cir. 1983).
Sixth circuit orders review of Ohio prison
policy requiring inmate to cut his hair; finds that religious rights may
have been violated. Weaver v. Jago, 675 F.2d 116 (6th Cir. 1982).
Appeals court rules that suit by inmate which
he claimed that hair grooming standards infringed his religious freedom
was not frivolous. Dreibelbis v. Marks, 675 F.2d 579 (3rd Cir. 1982).
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