Conditions Of Parole At Faith-Based Shelter Challenged

Yesterday's Charleston Gazette reports that the ACLU of West Virginia has filed suit on behalf of William Stanley, challenging the conditions of his parole from prison. (ACLU Press Release.)Upon being granted parole, Stanley was not allowed to move, as planned, to his fiancee's home because of West Virginia's statutory prohibition on cohabitation. The state also rejected Stanley's proposal to live with his brother, because victims of his forgery crime lived nearby. After four months, Stanley arranged to be paroled to the Union Mission, a faith-based nonprofit homeless shelter. However, a condition of living at Union Mission was his participation in a program requiring daily prayer, religious classes and attendance at an approved church. The lawsuit claims that the government unconstitutionally participated in forcing religious practices on Stanley. The suit also challenges West Virginia's anti-cohabitation law.