Muslims are prevented from practicing their religion at Rhode Island prison, suit says

Miami Herald

19-02-2025

Muslim inmates at a Rhode Island prison are accusing facility leadership of religious discrimination by withholding access to some of their religious practices, according to a lawsuit.
The complaint filed Feb. 13 on behalf of Diamond Wilson, Karlton Brockman, Nathan Cooper and Lorenzo Hicks — four Muslim inmates at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections High Security Center — comes just two weeks before Ramadan, a holy month of prayer and fasting for Muslims.
'Despite repeated requests by plaintiffs, RIDOC and RIDOC officials have prevented plaintiffs from practicing their religion, including the ability to observe Ramadan, to engage in communal prayer, to meet with an imam, and to obtain needed religious items,' attorneys said in the complaint.
The complaint states that the prison's denials to Muslim inmates 'are not the least restrictive means to achieve a compelling governmental interest,' violating the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act and the 14th Amendment.
'As a department we acknowledge and respect the constitutional rights of everyone under our care,' J.R. Ventura, RIDOC public information officer, told McClatchy News in a Feb. 19 email, adding that he could not further comment on pending litigation.
In January 2024, the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island filed a similar lawsuit against the prison, saying it denied accommodation for religious practices of a Native American prisoner.
Religious discrimination against Muslim inmates
According to the complaint, RIDOC officials discriminate against Muslim inmates by allowing certain religious practices — including communal gatherings and meetings with clergy — to Christians and not Muslims.
Despite multiple requests for communal Muslim prayer and its salient role in religious practices, officials have not allowed Muslims in the High Security Center (HSC) to hold any communal prayer services, attorneys said.
Christians, however, gather for services weekly, and announcements about the gatherings are heard over the intercom, attorneys said.
Muslim inmates also feel discriminated against when it comes to meeting with an imam, according to the complaint.
While Christian inmates are given permission to meet with chaplains weekly without submitting requests to do so, Muslim inmates have less access to an imam — and no access in some cases, attorneys said.
'Although the imam visits HSC, his visits are infrequent and sporadic, and RIDOC only allows him to visit inmates in certain cell blocks,' attorneys said.
According to the complaint, Muslim inmates are also denied access to prayer rugs and prayer cloths.
Ramadan disruptions
The complaint lists three ways RIDOC officials restricted Ramadan observances in 2024: by reducing Muslim inmates' caloric intake, requiring inmates to extend their fast by several hours and prohibiting them from breaking their fast together.
According to attorneys, other prisons have policies that accommodate Ramadan observances, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons has certain requirements to ensure practicing Muslims are able to get proper nutrition during this time.
However, the RIDOC only provides Muslims observing Ramadan two meals a day at times that lengthen the duration of their fast.
'Because of both the extension of the fast and lack of adequate nutrition, Plaintiffs lost weight, experienced hunger pains, and were pressured to break their religious obligations,' attorneys said.
RIDOC officials also do not allow Muslim inmates to come together to celebrate iftar, the communal fast-breaking meal during Ramadan, attorneys said.
In March 2024, when one of the inmates gave a piece of candy to another to break the fast together, they were both punished with 20 days of disciplinary confinement, the complaint said.
With Ramadan coming up in March, the complaint asks for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction so inmates can partake in religious practices surrounding the holiday.
The complaint also asks for a permanent injunction ordering the prison to make certain policy changes, including allowing the inmates to observe Ramadan, engage in weekly communal prayer, meet regularly with an imam and access religious items.
The Rhode Island Department of Corrections High Security Center is located in Cranston, a 5-mile drive south from Providence.