The Wild Hunt (https://wildhunt.org/tag/pagan-prisoners)
A report from the UK board overseeing prisons writes that Pagans should have access to pastoral services in prisons including adequate access to religious items despite reports that some individuals have been denied ritual items.
POLKTON, N.C. –A Wiccan inmate has sued for to a long list of religious accommodations including both a vegan diet and ice cream as a ritual food for one sabbat. Jennifer Ann Jasmaine is also seeking more time to practice her religion, including time outside with a fire. According to one prison minister, that’s not going to cut it in any facility. The fact that Jasmaine is a transgender woman figures prominently in the original story, although her gender identity is not mentioned in her initial filing in the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. Rather, she focuses on remedies which would enhance her religious practice.
CONNEL, Wash. — On Nov. 4 – 5, 2017, ADF members and prisoners hosted a pan-Pagan Samhain, ritual and mini-conference at Coyote Ridge Correctiosn Center in Connel, Washington. This mixed minimum- and medium-security prison has a capacity to house 2,468 prisoners. About 60 Heathen, Druid, and Wiccan prisoners participated.
TWH – Now that the season has turned and we are nearing the end of the 2017, we look back, one last time, to review this historic year. What happened? What didn’t happen? What events shaped our thoughts and guided our actions? In our collective worlds, both big and small, what were the major discussions?
CARSON CITY, Nev. — Pagan inmates at the Lovelock Correctional Center may finally see their day in court. Three judges on the 9th U.S. District Court of Appeals ruled in March that a case dating back to the 2009 destruction of an outdoor Pagan worship area will be able to move forward. A lower court had made a summary judgment against the plaintiffs, but the appeals court panel has now found that there is, in fact, enough open questions to allow for a more detailed look at the evidence. Brian DeBarr, Chioke Gadsden, and Nathan Peterson were all inmates at Lovelock.