9th Circuit Rejects Prisoner's Religious Diet Claim

In Stewart v. Stewart, (Dec. 16, 2005), the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of a former prisoner's free exercise claim, finding that Arizona prison officials had a clear penological interest in requiring inmates on the prison's religious diet to sign for each meal. It also rejected plaintiff's claim that serving him regular meals, rather than the religious diet, for six months amounted to cruel and unusual punishment.