Freeman v. Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice.

• Position: RELIGION - Brief Article

U.S. Appeals Court

OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE

SERVICES

Freeman v. Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice, 369 F.3d 854 (5th Cir. 2004). Inmates brought a class action alleging that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) failed to provide them with adequate opportunities to practice their faith, in violation of the Free Exercise and Equal Protection Clauses of the constitution. The district court entered summary judgment in favor of TDCJ and the inmates appealed. The appeals court affirmed, finding that the prison policy under which inmates belonging to a certain church could attend weekly services with a "Christian/nonRoman Catholic" sub-group did not violate the inmates' free exercise rights. According to the court, the...