Supreme Court Blocks Louisiana Inmate’s Religious Rights Lawsuit

The Supreme Court has blocked an attempt by a former Louisiana inmate, Damon Landor, to sue prison officials for cutting his dreadlocks. This action was in violation of his Rastafari religious beliefs. While condemning the officials’ actions, the court ruled that a federal law designed to protect inmates’ religious rights does not allow lawsuits for monetary damages against individuals, even when violations occur.

In a 6-3 decision, the high court sided with lower courts, which consistently ruled that the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act cannot be used to hold violators financially accountable. The justices did not extend the rationale from a 2020 decision that permitted Muslim men to sue over FBI no-fly list inclusion under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The Justice Department, which previously argued against plaintiffs in the no-fly list case, supported Landor.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that the law does not authorize suits against individual officers for prisoner religious rights violations. However, in a dissenting opinion, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned that the decision offers little incentive for state prison officials to comply with federal law, indicating the incident exemplifies Congress’s motivation for the legislation.

No one defended the actions taken against Landor during his 2020 five-month prison term. Initially, officials respected his religious beliefs, but circumstances changed at the Raymond Laborde Correctional Center. There, a prison guard discarded Landor’s copy of a court ruling supporting religious prisoners’ rights, and the warden ordered his dreadlocks cut, restrained by guards, and shaved to the scalp.

Landor’s post-release lawsuit was dismissed by lower courts. Though the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals acknowledged Landor’s maltreatment, they stated the law does not permit holding prison officials liable for damages. Louisiana responded that it has amended its prison grooming policy to prevent future incidents similar to Landor’s experience.

The Rastafari faith originated in 1930s Jamaica, emerging as a reaction to colonial oppression. Its beliefs combine Old Testament teachings with aspirations of returning to Africa. The faith gained global recognition in the 1970s through music icons Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.