Court Upholds Religious Rights of (Minority Religion) Prisoners

Good news on the court case Cutter v. Wilkinson which I first mentioned back in November:

“The Supreme Court today upheld the right of prisoners to practice religion behind bars, even if their observances are rooted in atypical beliefs like polytheism, Satanism and white supremacy. In a unanimous ruling, the court supported the rights of prisoners by upholding a five-year-old federal law directing states to relieve “substantial burdens” on inmates’ religious practices unless a regulation serves a “compelling state interest.”…In arguing the case before the justices in March, the Bush administration’s acting solicitor general, Paul D. Clement, said that the government “follows the best of our traditions” when it relieves burdens on religious practice for all religions, not just “majoritarian” ones.

This is a major victory in establishing the rights of modern Pagans. We can hope that this will clear the way for easier access to Pagan clergy who do prison ministry, and to publications and publishers who want to donate religious materials to minority faiths.

Tags: Neopaganism