Several inmates at a New York state prison are suing the Department of Corrections, alleging that their right to practice their religion was violated over a decision to lock down the facility during next week’s total solar eclipse.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court by six inmates at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility in Woodbourne, about 110 miles north of New York City.
The inmates come from a variety of religious backgrounds and include an atheist, a Baptist, a Muslim, a Seventh-day Adventist, and two Santeria practitioners.
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This photo combination shows the path of the sun during a total solar eclipse by the moon on August 21, 2017 near Redmond, Oregon. On April 8, 2024, viewers who are not near the path of the total solar eclipse or whose weather is cloudy will still be able to view the total solar eclipse on the day of the solar eclipse. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
“Solar eclipses are rare natural phenomena that have great religious significance for many people,” the suit states. “To this day, solar eclipses, like the April 8 solar eclipse, are recognized by various religions as special events that require gathering, celebration, worship, and prayer.”
The last solar eclipse was in 2017, and after April 8, it won’t occur until 2044.
Plaintiffs Jeremy Zielinski, Travis Hudson Bruce Moses, Oscar Nunez, Jean-Marc Desmarat, and David Haig argue that the lockdown has prevented them from participating in religiously important events and has disrupted their faith. He said it was a violation of his constitutional right to practice.
Zielinski, 40, an atheist, is serving a sentence for first-degree rape, according to New York’s inmate database, but he has previous convictions for promoting child sexual activity and attempting to disseminate obscene material about minors. There is.
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Six New York prison inmates are suing over a planned lockdown on April 8, the day of a total solar eclipse. (Associated Press Ted S. Warren, New York State Congressman Edward Gibbs)
Hudson, 50, a Baptist, was found guilty of sexual conduct with a child. Moses, also 50, practices Santeria and is in prison for second-degree assault, possession of a weapon and possession of a controlled substance.
Nunez, 49, who also owns a Santeria restaurant, was found guilty of attempted second-degree murder. Desmarat, 53, a Muslim, was jailed for second-degree murder, and Haig, 49, a Seventh-day Adventist, was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter.
Daniel F. Martucello III, acting director of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), issued a memo in March saying all prisons would operate on a holiday schedule on April 8, DOCCS told FOX News Digital. Ta. Inmates will be returned to their residences at 2 p.m. on the day of the eclipse.
Six inmates at New York State’s Woodbourne Correctional Facility claim that locking down prisons across the state during the April 8 total solar eclipse violates their constitutional right to practice their religion. (St. Petersburg)
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Visitation at more than 20 correctional facilities will be canceled for the day, while visitation at other facilities will end at 2 p.m. All prisons will resume normal operations on April 9th.
A DOCCS spokesperson told FOX News Digital that DOCCS does not comment on pending litigation.
The ministry announced it would distribute eclipse safety glasses to staff and inmates at prisons in the path of the eclipse, allowing them to observe the celestial event from their assigned work locations or residences.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
