Justices Skeptical Of Beard Rule In Inmate Religious Rights Case

[rug]

by Nina Totenberg
October 07, 2014 4:20 PM ET

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a case that pits the authority of prison officials against the religious rights of prison inmates. Specifically, the question is whether a federal law aimed at shoring up those religious rights requires the state of Arkansas to allow a Muslim prisoner to wear a half-inch beard.

Gregory Holt, convicted of stabbing his ex-girlfriend, argues that the tenets of his Muslim faith require him not to cut his beard. As a compromise, he asked Arkansas prison authorities for permission to at least wear a half-inch beard.

The state has a security policy — "no beards" except for medical reasons — and so it said no.

Holt sued, citing a statute passed by Congress that tells prison officials they have to try to accommodate religious practices. The lower courts sided with the state, deferring, as they usually do, to the judgment of prison officials.

http://www.npr.org/2014/10/07/354371719/justices-skeptical-of-beard-rule-in-inmate-religious-rights-case

4:22 audio at link.

[edgineered]

1. Thank you

It looks like they won't do anything: half of one, all of the other, long hair, short hair, "Give me a head of hair, long beautiful hair" - confusion ensues.

Alito sat back in exasperation, asking why the prison can't just give the inmate a comb and tell him to comb out his beard, and if there's a "tiny revolver" hidden in his half-inch beard, "it will fall out."

[rug]

2. Lol, that's a funny question, even if it's from Alito.

[cbayer]

3. OMG. I would not have guessed that Alito had a sense of humor.

Good one.