Can prisoners sue the government for violating their rights? The answer is yes, as in the case of six inmates at Woodbourne Correctional Facility in New York, USA.

Last week, the inmates sued the state’s corrections department over its scheduled 8 April lockdown, which they claimed would prevent them from practicing their religion outdoors.

Daniel Martuscello III, the acting head of the New York Department of Corrections, issued a memo last month ordering all incarcerated individuals to remain in their cells on Monday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., their normal hours for outdoor recreation, KCRA reports. Visits will also be canceled that day.

Travis Hudson, a Baptist; David Haigh, a Seventh-day Adventist; a Muslim; two practitioners of the Afro-Caribbean religion Santeria; and atheist Jeremy Zielinski filed the suit in federal court on 29 March.

The six men’s lawyers reached a settlement with the department that would allow them to pray in the recreation area on Monday afternoon in exchange for dropping the lawsuit.

The department said it would also distribute safety glasses to the six and the other prisoners so they could view the total solar eclipse as they demanded.

On 8 April, the moon will block the sun and temporarily darken the skies. This rare astronomical phenomenon will be visible to millions of Americans in 15 states and a small part of eastern Canada and Mexico.

“Eclipses, like the one on 8 April, are recognized by various religions as special events that warrant gathering, celebration, worship, and prayer,” the six inmates said in their lawsuit.         

WITH AFP