New York inmates are suing to watch the solar eclipse after state orders prisons locked down

Submitted ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨tree@lemmy.zip⁩ to ⁨globalnews@lemmy.zip⁩

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/new-york-inmates-are-suing-to-watch-the-solar-eclipse-after-state-orders-prisons-locked-down

NEW YORK (AP) — Inmates in New York are suing the state corrections department over the decision to lock down prisons during next Monday’s total solar eclipse.

The suit filed Friday in federal court in upstate New York argues that the April 8 lockdown violates inmates’ constitutional rights to practice their faiths by preventing them from taking part in a religiously significant event.

The plaintiffs are six men with varying religious backgrounds who are incarcerated at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility in Woodbourne. They include a Baptist, a Muslim, a Seventh-Day Adventist and two practitioners of Santeria, as well as an atheist.

“A solar eclipse is a rare, natural phenomenon with great religious significance to many,” the complaint reads, noting that Bible passages describe an eclipse-like phenomenon during Jesus’ crucifixion while sacred Islamic works describes a similar event when the Prophet Muhammad’s son died.

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Minotaur@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
The religious lawsuit is kind of bullshit, in my opinion - but they’re right to take action over what is essentially overt, purposeless cruelty to deprive people the ability to look outside simply in order to punish them for acts they’re already being punished for.

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- el_doso@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  I more think it’s the optimal legal strategy to frame it this way, even though probably most of the plaintiffs aren’t necessarily thinking about it from a religious angle.
  
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- Coasting0942@reddthat.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  It’s not bullshit if the court is religious. Especially if they frame it as wanting to see the eclipse to better appreciate the Jesus.
  
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  - Entropywins@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    Moon Jesus is the best jesus...
    
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- prole@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  Would it be bullshit if this were about Christian inmates being denied the ability to receive communion? Or if they were forcing Muslim or Jewish inmates to break halal and kosher respectively by making them eat certain things?
  
  Remind me what the First Amendment is about again?
  
  Also, quick google search found this SCOTUS case from 2005 that seems pretty cut and dry regarding this type of thing: www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna8047388
  
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  - Minotaur@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    … yeah man I don’t think it’s an unfair assessment to say that at least the 10 guys all of different religions getting together and saying they all have a vaguely stated religious need to see the solar eclipse aren’t at least kind of bullshitting.
    
    They’re still right to do it. But no dude, these are not a group of guys who legitimately feel watching the solar eclipse is vital to their religion lol. They’re a group of guys trying to scrap a bit of freedom and dignity in an oppressive environment.
    
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  - captainlezbian@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    [deleted]
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Donkter@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
God it’s sad that inmates have to resort to arguing religious rights to fight for the right to look at the last eclipse they’ll likely see for the rest of their healthy lives.

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Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
‘practitioners of Sataneria’ that’s a new one. Is that what the church of Satan followers are calling themselves?

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- clara@feddit.uk ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santería
  
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  - Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    Huh. Never heard of em before.
    
    TIL.
    
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ZeroTHM@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
It’s the same reason they’re not allowed outside at night, when it’s dark, it’s lock down. It’s a security issue. Also, every prison I’ve been in (6+) has had windows on the cells that can see outside.

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- Spiralvortexisalie@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  At least for these inmates, New York State already purchased glasses, and the issue actually is that the jails changed that Monday to a weekend schedule that forces them inside at the exact time it passes over, whereas the weekday schedule would have allowed them outside at the time. I don’t know if it is true but I’ve heard a few mentions that the switch was short staffing from many guards taking that day off mixed with general understaffing, and thats why such an abrupt switch came with a week left.
  
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ZugZug@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
It’s gonna be cloudy shit don’t come.

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yeather@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
Doesn’t make sense to lockdown the prison, but they shouldn’t be provided any of the equipment.

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- Breezy@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
  No, it makes sense if they are doing a lock down in order to prevent people from damaging their eyes (they probably arent). Provide equipment to view it safely is another manner. But to just outright say naw let them go fuck up their eyes, and definitely don’t provide glasses that way its more likely they fuck up their eyes is just cruel. Whats wrong with you man. Jesus would not be proud of you.
  
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  - yeather@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago
    Why would you fund the prisoners viewing experience, prisons have a commisary let them buy them if they want the glasses. Other than that I hope grown adults can be trusted enough to not look directly at the sun but I have less faith in that every day.
    
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