Source: Houston Chronicle
Three Native American inmates bested the Texas prison system in a lawsuit over religious liberties, winning the right to let their hair grow long despite arguments from state attorneys that it would pose a security risk and make it easier for inmates to escape from an understaffed facility.
The trio of long-time prisoners at the McConnell Unit sued the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in federal court, arguing that their Native American spiritual beliefs regard hair as an extension of the soul, something to be cut only when in mourning. The prison system’s rules requiring men to keep short hair or face disciplinary consequences, the inmates and their attorneys argued, were an unfair violation of religious freedom
“Religious liberty is a bedrock value,” said Rob Ellis, one of the lawyers who represented the inmates. “It’s also a nonpartisan issue so it’s especially important for minority groups like Native Americans whose views aren’t as well known or accepted.”