Foreword
When convicted criminals are sentenced to prison, many of their freedoms are relinquished. They are told where to sleep, when to eat, and what to do. One freedom they maintain, however, is the freedom to practice their religion. By passing the Federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), Congress instructed prison administrators to accommodate inmates’ religious practices. The law says that “substantial burdens” on a prisoner’s religion can only be justified if it is the “least restrictive means” of furthering a “compelling” government interest. For most State prison systems, these accommodations include allowing prisoners to grow…
