A federal lawsuit has been filed over a violation of religious liberties in Kentucky prisons. The ACLU of Kentucky filed the suit Friday on behalf of Carlos Thurman who is being held at the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex in West Liberty. Thurman is a practicing Rastafarian and wore his hair in dreadlocks.
The Northpoint Training Center, where Thurman was originally held, issued a policy that all inmates must have, what is considered, searchable hair. Heather Gatnarek is staff attorney for the ACLU of Kentucky. She said Thurman objected to this policy because of his religious beliefs.
“He filed a grievance and in retaliation the prison transferred him from Northpoint Training Center to Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex and in the process of that transfer they forcibly cut his dreadlocks over his objections.”
She said actions taken against Thurman violate the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.
“That is a federal law that says states cannot infringe upon a person’s sincerely held religious beliefs unless they can prove that doing so is the least restrictive means possible to reach a state interest.”
Gatnarek said Thurman’s hair was not searched after it was removed.
