Supreme Court to Decide How Far Religious Freedom Extends Inside Prison Walls

The Supreme Court is deciding whether Louisiana violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act by forcing an inmate to shave dreadlocks he says are required by his Rastafarian faith. Louisiana claims the grooming policy protects security and hygiene. The ruling will determine how strictly courts must apply strict scrutiny—a demanding legal test—to prison policies affecting Muslim beards, Sikh hair, and other religiously significant practices nationwide.