North Carolina prison system to expand religious protections, DOJ says

The Justice Department on Monday reached an agreement with the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections, or NCDAC, requiring Passover-friendly meals in the state’s prisons. The deal ends a Justice Department investigation into the prison system concerning allegations that it wasn’t protecting inmates’ religious freedoms to the degree federal law required. The prison system cooperated fully with federal authorities during the investigation, according to the agreement.

What does this agreement explicitly require of the prison system? The NCDAC must provide Passover-friendly food to inmates who wish to observe the eight-day Jewish holiday annually. Each state prison facility must allow religious groups with more than one adherent within the prison to gather for worship. The facilities must allow the services even when designated religious leaders are unavailable to lead the worship service. The facilities may still suspend worship services where they constitute a threat to safety within the prison. The agreement is specifically aimed at protecting the rights of minority, or non-Christian religious groups, the Justice Department said.

Dig deeper: Read Erin Hawley’s column in WORLD Opinions from last year about how the U.S. Constitution protects the right not just to believe, but also to act according to one’s religion.