Supreme Court to Consider Prisoners' Religious (Wicca) Rights

Supreme Court to Consider Prisoners' Religious Rights

By Lauren Etter
Religion News Service
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A Satanist, a Wiccan, an Asatru follower and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ Christian say prison guards refuse to give them access to religion-specific books and ceremonial items. The inmates, in a suit against the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, say that this violates their rights guaranteed by the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. The act makes it illegal to impose burdens on prisoners who want to practice their religion.

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Davis said religions like Wicca have been misunderstood."Prison staff seem to think that Wiccans and Pagans are some sort of demon worshipers," he said.
Paul Rogers, president of the American Correctional Chaplains Association, said that developing a sense of spirituality and responsibility toward a higher power is key to reducing the rate of recidivism and helping inmates transition back into society after their release.

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http://www.beliefnet.com/story/162/story_16276_1.html

Is freedom of religion real or only a right of the Borg-agains who share the same religious belief as the Republican party.
B*B,
joefree1



"Persecution is not an original feature in any religion, but it is always the strongly marked feature of all religions established by law."-- Thomas Paine

"It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God."
- Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)

Images of the AntiWar Protest 3/19 in Hollywood, California
http://ediablo.com/LAprotest3-19-05.html

in cases involving Native American religious rights within the prison system.

Are they talking about books, or stuff like an athame? I don't know that I want convicts around knives, no matter what religion they are. :)