FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 10, 2008
CONTACT:
Brandon Hensler, Director of Communications at media@aclufl.org
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today sent a letter to Governor Charlie Crist urging him to end discrimination in Florida’s prisons by accommodating the sacred religious beliefs of inmates. The letter asks Crist specifically to stop the Department of Corrections from continuing to violate inmates’ exercise of religion, by amending state regulations to provide religious freedom to everyone. The ACLU hopes that if the state changes its policy, local county jails will follow the example.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons and many other states regularly accommodate prisoners to freely practice their faiths in prison. For Sikhs, accommodations have been granted for unshorn hair, including beards, and the wearing of religious headgear, such as a turban, part of Sikh religious practice. Jagmohan Singh Ahuja, is a practicing Sikh who emigrated to the U.S. from Afghanistan to escape religious persecution by the Taliban. He is being held at the Duval County Jail in Jacksonville where officers forcibly cut his hair and removed his headgear. Both actions violate his constitutionally protected religious freedoms granted by state and federal law.
“The sheriff’s office cites security concerns as the reason for its policy,” said Glenn Katon, Director of the ACLU of Florida’s Religious Freedom Project. “But it’s hard to understand how uncut hair can pose a serious security threat when the federal prison system and many state prison systems don’t have the same requirement.”
The ACLU’s letter makes clear why Governor Crist must direct Florida’s Department of Corrections to amend the Department of Corrections’ administrative code to allow inmates to observe their religious practice regarding hair length.
The full text of the letter follows:
October 10, 2008
VIA FAX (850-487-0801) and U.S. MAIL
Governor Charlie Crist
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Re: Jagmohan Singh Ahuja
Dear Governor Crist:
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida asks your assistance with a matter of grave concern.
Jagmohan Singh Ahuja, a Sikh prisoner held at Duval County Jail in Jacksonville has suffered an egregious violation of his religious tenets, namely the forcible cutting of his kesh (unshorn hair) and removal of his dastaar (Sikh turban). He is currently in danger of repeated violations of this most essential of our constitutional rights.
As an organization that strives to protect the religious freedom of everyone in Florida, we are deeply troubled by this violation of Mr. Singh’s religious rights. This is a matter that not only affects Jagmohan Singh or the Sikh community; it is a matter that affects all people of Florida.
Jagmohan Singh fled from religious persecution as a Sikh living under the fanatical Taliban in Afghanistan, but has now faced religious persecution again in the United States of America, the bastion of religious freedom and civil rights. Assistant Chief Redman of the Duval County Jail has taken the position that they “are well within their rights to cut his [Jagmohan’s] hair and will continue to do so.”
The United States of America was built on the foundation of liberty and our founding fathers emphasized the obligation of government to respect the free practice of religion, among many other important civil rights. And if that most fundamental of rights – religious freedom – is to have meaning in America, it must be respected for members of minority religious beliefs as well as for those who are associated with any of the more common religious movements in our society.
Members of various religions have particular practices that they hold dear and are central to their faith. It is of utmost importance to allow these practices in correctional facilities when there is no reasonable safety or security concern. The Federal Bureau of Prisons and many other states regularly accommodate prisoners to freely practice their faiths in prison. For Sikhs, accommodations have been granted for unshorn hair, including beards, and the turban, as the practice of the Sikh faith requires. If the safety of Federal prisons and facilities in various other states can be maintained while accommodating Sikhs and other individuals to practice their faiths, it should be clear that the safety of prisons in Florida, whether state, county or local correction or detention facilities, would not be compromised by the same practices.
We request your immediate attention and assistance to stop the continued violation of Jagmohan Singh’s religious beliefs, and to intervene and finally put an end to discrimination in Florida’s prisons by amending the current state regulations to properly accommodate the sacred religious beliefs and practices of inmates. We believe that if the State of Florida’s Department of Corrections regulation of inmates’ hair length is changed to accommodate inmates’ exercise of religion, Florida counties such as Duval will amend their regulations accordingly.
Thus, we urge you to direct the Department of Corrections to amend Chapter 33-602.101(4) of the Florida Administrative Code to allow inmates to observe their religious tenets regarding hair length. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Glenn M. Katon
Director, Religious Freedom Project
CC: Mayor Peyton
Fax# 904.630.2391
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