Rastafarian Prisoners Punished For Grooming Rule Violations

The Richmond, Virginia Times Dispatch reports this morning that at least eleven Rastafarian prisoners in Virginia prisons have been held in segregation since 1999 for refusing to comply with prison grooming policies. In segregation, prisoners spend 24 hours in their cells, eating their meals there as well. For religious reasons, the Rastafarians refuse to cut their hair or shave their beards. Prison officials say the policy was put in place to help identify prisoners who could otherwise change their appearance from their original mug shots. Advocates for the prisoners seek a religious exemption from the grooming rules.