Supreme Court Closes Legal Door for Religious Inmate

The Supreme Court just handed down a major ruling that shuts the door on lawsuits seeking damages against prison officials for violating religious rights—like cutting off a jailed Rastafari inmate’s dreadlocks. In a 6-3 decision, justices ruled that the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act doesn’t let inmates sue specific guards or wardens for money, even when clear federal law was broken. The case of Damon Landor, who spent five months in prison with his dreadlocks forcibly cut despite court rulings protecting his faith, now has no legal path to compensation. Justice Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion, saying the law doesn’t authorize such lawsuits, while Justice Jackson sharply dissented, warning the ruling weakens accountability and emboldens prison officials to ignore federal protections. This case exposes the deep tension between religious freedom, institutional policy, and the limits of legal recourse for incarcerated people—especially those whose faith demands respect for sacred hair. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/853b1bb34857c62a