In Grate v. Huffman, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81790 (WD VA, Nov. 5, 2007), a Virginia federal district court rejected plaintiff's claim alleging that prison food supervisors failed to provide him with a proper Eid feast. Plaintiff alleged that the extra piece of fruit served with his meal was insufficient to properly observe the feast. The court found that the plaintiff failed to show that the meal served him placed a substantial burden on his religious rights or that it offended his religious beliefs.
In Blount v. Jabe, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81789 (WD VA, Nov. 5, 2007), a Virginia federal district court rejected plaintiff prisoner's First Amendment and RLUIPA claims alleging that on two different dates the rules for Common Fare diets were violated because the Common Fare meal contained fish and dairy products together. The court found no intentional conduct that deprived plaintiff of his rights. It also concluded that no substantial burden was placed on plaintiff's free exercise of religion.
In Wares v. Simmons, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81351 (D KS, Oct. 31, 2007), a Kansas federal district court upheld prison restrictions on the property that a prisoner can possess after he was sanctioned for refusing to participate in a sexual abuse treatment program. Plaintiff challenged a rule that permitted him only to possess primary religious texts of his faith, and not other religious books. Considering the claim after a remand by the 10th Circuit, the court held that preventing a Jewish prisoner from possessing the "Tanya" and/or the "Tehillim" did not substantially burden his exercise of religion. Moreover the policy served legitimate penological interests and that plaintiff had the alternative of donating his books to the prison library and using them there.
In Hewitt v. Henderson, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 80812 (WD LA, Sept. 6, 2007), a Louisiana federal district court dismissed a prisoners free exercise and equal protection claims. Under extended lockdown rules, plaintiff was not released from work for Friday Muslim prayer. He was, however, permitted to pray in his cellblock. The court found no violation of the prisoner's constitutional rights.
In Tirone v. Trella, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 79812 (D NJ, Oct. 29, 2007), a New Jersey federal district court rejected a free exercise challenge to a jail's high security lockdown policy that prevented plaintiff from attending weekly Jumah prayer services.
