Prisons Must Give Inmates Meat that meets their Religious Dietary Restrictions

The Federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (“the Act”) requires prisons to provide their inmates with meat that does not substantially burden their ability to practice religion.  In the case of a muslim inmate, serving 225 years for murder, this means providing him with Kosher meat, which he has accepted as an alternative to keeping Halal.  The U.S. Seventh Circuit relied on the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby in ruling that the act prohibits prisons from imposing a substantial burden on the practice of religion by refusing to provide Kosher meat to a practising muslim under these circumstances. Roman Lee Jones v. Robert E. Carter, jr., commissioner, Indiana Department of Corrections.  (U.S. 7th Cir., Feb 15, 2019).