Damon Landor, a devout Rastafarian inmate from Louisiana, is still pursuing legal action against state prison officials after they forcibly shaved his dreadlocks during his time behind bars in 2020. He filed the suit in the US, at the heart of a larger question, can individuals be held personally liable for religious-rights violations under the federal law known as Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA)?
The incident happened at the Raymond Laborde Correctional Center in Louisiana when Landor was serving a five-month sentence for drug possession and believed his religious vow required him to keep his hair uncut.
