ACLU Tells Wyoming Prison Department To Allow Inmates To Wear Kippahs
The American Civil Liberties Union has warned the Wyoming Department of Corrections that prohibiting an Orthodox Jewish inmate from wearing a kippah violates his religious freedom.
The ACLU and the ACLU of Wyoming sent a letter on Jan. 9 to the Wyoming Department of Corrections on behalf of inmate Clarence Fisher, saying that its refusal to allow Fisher to wear his kippah at all times violates the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 allowing prisoners to worship according to their religious beliefs.
The Corrections Department, which allows a prisoner to wear a kippah only in his own cell or during religious services, cited non-specific “security concerns” for refusing to accede to Fisher’s request to wear a kippah at all times in accordance with his religious beliefs, according to the ACLU.
The ACLU noted that prisoners can wear baseball caps and hats purchased at the prison commissary and that Jewish inmates in federal prisons are permitted to wear a kippah at all times.
The ACLU asked the Corrections Department to revise its policy.
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
