Wyoming Corrections Department Accused of Violating Religious Liberty of Jewish Inmates

Written by Don Byrd
Last week the ACLU sent a letter to the Wyoming Department of Corrections requesting they revise a policy that prohibits inmates from wearing a yarmulke outside their cell or in religious services. Under RLUIPA, such a rule may substantially burden an inmate’s religious exercise only if it is necessary to achieve a compelling government interest. Assuring that inmates are afforded basic religious accommodations, the ACLU writes, is exactly why RLUIPA was adopted.