MacRaven - Dave Haxton's Weblog

Wed, 13 Oct 2004

Supreme Court to Decide Inmates' Religious Rights Law

Included in the mix are a couple of heathens who've been harassed rather mercilessly by prison authorities. They're joined by a Wiccan, a Satanist (!) and a Christian Identity fellow. I have no idea what Wicca could do for a prisoner, but Satanism and the racist tripe called "Christian Identity" I would think might be a bit counter-productive in such an enviroment. And that may be an understatement ...

But Heathenry can be a very positive force behind bars. I spent a year going out to the Indiana State Prison in Greencastle once a month and serving blot and sumbel to heathen inmates. It was enlightening, to say the least. I never cease to be amazed and amused by prison management's negative attitudes towards heathenry, which as a religion teaches total personal responsibility. We don't have a "savior", and getting rid of your bad deeds takes a lot more than a prayer and a dunking in a converted bathtub.

There were a few who were just trying to get some time off, sure, but there were several who took it seriously enough to stay heathen after release. One of the inmates dropped his appeals after his "conversion" in order to do the time he thought he owed society. Another made a successful effort at restitution after his release - without being so ordered by a court.

Reuters - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Tuesday it would decide the constitutionality of a 2000 federal law protecting the religious rights of prisoners.

(link) [Yahoo! News]

/Asatru | 2 writebacks | permanent link

On
Justin wrote

From what I gather, this isn't about freedom to practice which religion, but rather what sort of accomodation the government is required to provide. When I was a priest I used to volunteer at the prison chaplain's office, so I'm somewhat familiar with some of the requests that came across the desk under the provisions of this act. One Wiccan prisoner requested an Athame and tried to take it to the prison's appeals board because he was refused a weapon. An evangelical Christian tried to insist that he needed wine and a special kind of bread in order to celebrate communion in his cell. These sorts of requests were denied, of course, but the law is a little broad in terms of what it will allow people to request, and at the very least it leads to a lot of wasted time. Any new laws concerning prisoners religious rights ought to more clearly specify what types of items can be provided. Holy books and essential religious articles which cannot be used to harm other inmates and the ability to assemble with other members of your religion are really all that's needed IMO.

On
Dave H wrote

I agree wholeheartedly - one thing I ran into was a bit of disappointment on the part of the inmates that I served when I presented cidar for blot and libation rather than the trqaditional mead. And of course, waltzing into a prison with our kindred's "hallowing" Hammer (a six pound sledgehammer with a very short, red oak handle) was right out. We made due with a very small version, very symbolically. Which is, of course, all that's really necessary. It is a shame, however, that religious medals and talisman's must be forbidden. But I can understand the administration's concern that the necklace itself could be used as a garotte. Thanks for the comment. Be well, Dave H.

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MacRaven
Dave Haxton's Weblog
Musings, Reflections, Rants and Comments from a Hoosier Heathen husband, father, grandfather, farmer and software engineer. There's really only one of me ...

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