Supreme Court Reviews Inmate Religious Rights Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case of Damon Landor, a Rastafarian inmate whose knee-length dreadlocks were forcibly shaved by Louisiana prison guards in 2020, allegedly violating his religious rights. Landor had provided guards with a 2017 appeals court ruling supporting his right to keep his dreadlocks, but officials ignored it, leading to widespread condemnation, including from Louisiana’s attorney general. The central issue is whether the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) allows Landor to sue individual prison officials for monetary damages, as lower courts have ruled such lawsuits are barred. The case may have significant implications for religious rights in prisons and the ability of inmates to seek compensation for violations. Both Landor's attorneys and previous federal officials are urging the justices to allow such damages claims. Louisiana has since amended its prison grooming policy to prevent similar incidents.