The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled in favor of the religious freedom claims of a prisoner in Arkansas who wanted to grow a beard in accordance with his Muslim faith but was blocked by the Department of Corrections’ policy that forbids beards except for diagnosed dermatological problems.
The Court said in a 9-0 opinion that part of the prison policy violated a federal statute specifically designed to protect the religious exercise of prisoners.
Justice Samuel Alito wrote the opinion and said, “We hold that the Department’s grooming policy violates RLUIPA [The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act] insofar as it prevents petitioner from growing a 1/2 inch beard in accordance with his religious beliefs.” The opinion was unanimous.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote separately in a concurring opinion to distinguish the case from the Hobby Lobby decision last term. “Unlike the exemption this Court approved in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, accommodating petitioner’s religious beliefs in this case would not detrimentally affect others who do not share petitioner’s belief.”
