Jewish or Protestant? Prison, inmates differ

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The inmates say they're Jewish, but the prison considers them Protestant.

A long-running debate over defining the term "Messianic Jew" has spilled into a dispute over self-described Messianic Jews at an Ohio prison claiming discrimination in their attempts to keep kosher.

Messianic Jews say they can be Jewish while believing that Jesus is the Messiah foretold in Jewish scriptures — an idea contrary to traditional Judaism.

At least four Messianic Jewish prisoners at Richland Correctional Institution in Mansfield have filed grievances, alleging discrimination. Federal law says the government cannot impede the religious exercise of an inmate unless those restrictions support a compelling governmental interest.