For nearly two decades, Damon Landor never cut his hair. As a devout Rastafarian, he kept the Nazarite vow, letting his locks grow as an act of faith. Then, with about three weeks left on a five-month sentence, guards at a Louisiana prison handcuffed him to a chair and shaved his head. This week the Supreme Court decided he cannot sue them for it.
What Is the Nazarite Vow?
The vow reaches back to the Hebrew Bible, where in the Book of Numbers a Nazirite set himself apart for God by promising to avoid specific actions. The traditional vow has three components:
- Don't consume grapes (this prohibition includes grape byproducts like wine, vinegar, and raisins),
- Make no contact with the bodies of the dead,
- No cutting of the hair
Rastafari adherents to the Nazirite vow draw most on that last command, often pointing to the biblical story of Samson, a legendary warrior whose strength was stored in his hair. For believers, dreadlocks are not a style but a sign of devotion to Jah (God) and a tie to their African roots. They also stand as a rejection of what Rastafari call "Babylon", a shorthand for the worldly systems of oppression they trace from slavery and colonialism through to the prisons and police of today. Shearing the locks is akin to desecration, not personal grooming.
What Happened in Louisiana?
Landor served most of his term without incident. Two earlier facilities let him keep his hair, sometimes tucked under a rastacap, and one even amended its grooming policy to accommodate him. That changed after a transfer to the Raymond Laborde Correctional Center, with only three weeks left to serve on his sentence. At his intake into the facility, he explained his faith and handed over a 2017 federal appeals ruling that protected a Rastafarian prisoner's right to keep dreadlocks.
According to court records, the guard threw the paper in the trash and summoned the warden, Marcus Myers, who demanded documentation from Landor's sentencing judge. Landor offered to call his lawyer for it. "Too late for that," Myers replied, then ordered guards to take him to another room, where two held him down while a third shaved his head to the scalp. Landor later told ABC News that being strapped down and shaved "felt like I was [being] raped."
Why Did the Court Rule Against Him?
The case turned on a technical question, not on whether the shaving was wrong. Landor sued under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, a law tied to federal funding: Louisiana's prison system agreed to follow it in exchange for federal money. Writing for the 6-to-3 majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch reasoned that this deal binds the department as an institution, but not the individual guards and warden, who never personally signed on to it. So Landor could name the prison system in his suit, but he cannot collect damages from the officers who held him down. Even the lower court that ruled against him had "emphatically" condemned his treatment.
What Did Each Side Say?
The three dissenting justices saw real danger in that outcome. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote that the decision leaves inmates like Landor "remediless," giving prison staff little reason to honor federal law even when handed proof of it. Landor's lawyers called the shaving "shocking, offensive, and lawless," and noted that dozens of religious groups across the spectrum had lined up behind him.
Notably, Louisiana never argued the shaving was acceptable. The state conceded the episode ran against religious freedom and fair treatment, and it amended its grooming policy so a repeat could not happen. What it would not do was pay Landor, or accept that its officers could be sued as individuals. Its defense rested on the law, not the conduct. State Attorney General Liz Murrill said, "Religious liberty is deeply important, and Louisiana has laws on the books protecting it."
A Faith the Court Usually Protects?
The result surprised some observers. In recent years this Court has often sided with religious claimants, including an inmate who asked his pastor to pray aloud at his execution. Those cases tended to involve Christian believers. Here, a Rastafarian seeking the same deference did not prevail, which raises a fair question about whether every faith meets the same welcome at the courthouse door.
Do Some Religions Have More "Freedom" Than Others?
When the Court agreed to hear the case last year, we noted that it could reshape religious protections for inmates of every belief. The ruling answers part of that, and not in Landor's favor. A right with no remedy starts to look thin. The same worry surfaces in other recent fights, including the military's removal of 180 faiths from its list of recognized traditions.
Rastafari is a small faith, and small faiths often test whether legal promises stretch to everyone or only the majority. Courts have wrestled over which religions a prison must formally recognize, and readers here have long asked a blunt question: do we actually have religious freedom when those who break it walk away untouched?
Where should the line fall between a prison's authority and a prisoner's faith? If a law guards a right, but offers no way to enforce it, does that right even exist? And how should people of every tradition answer when the smallest faiths are so often the ones left without recourse?
102 comments
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
All religions should be considered equal— but in reality, the religious-mythology one was born into — is usually considered to be more equal than all the others. As anything categorized as a religion— has a supernatural basis; and the supernatural doesn’t exist (never ever proved) — all claims to something being sacred — have absolutely no basis in reality — and should be treated accordingly. Antidotal to all this nonsense is science; especially the science of astrophysics.
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Katie Roerig
Greetings Bishop William Dusenberry, DD~ "usually considered to be more equal than all the others" are you stating that whatever 'religion' and belief system one is born into intrinsically brings a bias to said beliefs/ religions? With an in-group/ out-group mentality. I believe that is correct. It takes a larger awareness, to break through indoctrination and assess what is and is not... I do not agree fully that all catagorized religions have a supernatural basis. Many do. A few are based on an upful livity/ life, accentuating the miracles that abound in reality. Is it not a miracle you were born? That flowers bloom, bees buzz, trees emit oxygen, sight, hearing, is this all miracles? Sacred is in the eye of the beholder. If attention, respect, peace are intentionally placed on an action, object, or idea it becomes sacred. Sacred does not strictly denote dedicated to God, it is something that we protect at all costs. Family, children, the truth are sacred. Sacred is a social / emotional / behaviorial reality. Money and laws have no basis in reality but they rule our World. Rational humans utilize 'sacred' to maintain order and balance. Astrophysics explains how stars burn out but not if human life is worth saving. I challenge you to research scientist that study the cosmos and see how that affected their sense of profound secular sacredness. Humans are made from the stars...but if you treat people as the $160 bucks of chemicals we are composed of, you are missing the sacredness of humanity itself. Bless Up:)
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
Miracles — imply a supernatural intervention—it’s a word for something that’s extremely rare — for which there’s no immediate explanation— and “the Christian God (or, his son) did it — is useful to those lacking a science-influenced vocabulary. That Nature and God are one and the same thing — becomes increasingly obvious the more natural sciences one studies — while a supernatural God, at best — is only ineffable. Its never been done, yet, even by the most widely known theologians, to provide a agreed upon definition of any supernatural God — so, if you know of one, please share it with us — or just substitute Nature for the supernatural Gods, and reject supernaturalism — because there’s no evidence of it, whatever.
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Lady Mutt Cat
It reminds me of the 60s. Cops would grab a male hippie and cut his hair off. It was a power thing, showing who’s boss and being as violent as they pleased. Sorta like ICE today.
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Gerald Lindsay
The supreme court isn't always right. They just act like they are. Growing his hair was part of his religion. When they cut his hair they were tromping on his right to practice his religion. I think it's a silly custom but his religious rights were undoubtedly violated. I have no idea how much he could sue for because most likely it was just a haircut and not a form of religious persecution. A judge would have to decide that but he might get some compensation which probably wouldn't be much but I don't really have any idea how much he could get.
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Lady Mutt Cat
If I were he, I would try to have them charged with assault in a criminal court. It was clearly an unnecessary, unconstitutional assault.
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Patricia Ann Gross
Am I reading this right? The only reason they threw out the law suit was because they sued the guards intead of the institution they work for? Time to go back to court and sue the DOC for the State of LA.
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Jillian Michelle Winsor
Clear abuse of religious rights. What is their "policy" on Orthodox Jewish hair locks, or cutting the hair of some indigenous men?
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John A Carreiro
Rev J here and on this topic religion has no authority in this matter. The bottom line here is why was this man in prison.When one gets sent to a prison, one has no rights so to speak. He has been committed to the prison rules and regulation without fail. If this was an established prison requirement then the prisoner was to follow it either on day one of his imprisonment or the last day of his confinement. But you folks all like to give a pass to the offender for any reason that you can find. Her is the bottom line, if one violates the law and gets sentenced to prison he is under the governance of the warden and the guards. There are rules for prisoner's to follow and obey without exception. The number one reason he was in prison is that he was gulity of a law violation that placed him there. I bet this prisoner has a past record of law violations and this time the court sentenced him. So the real moral of this story is, obey the law and stay out of jail. He placed himself there and he is the only one who did so. He is to be blamed for being there, no one else. Stay out of trouble and you stay out of prison.
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Patricia Ann Gross
Your only point that is correct, is the one that stated he was "found/pleaded guilty to a crime. He is still a human being with basic human rights, including the banning/abolishing of "cruel and unusual" punishments. From the article we don't know what he allegedly did to end up in prison, only that he was three weeks away from being released and in a new unit where the warden ordered the guards to shave his head, which they did forceably. Was it "cruel and unusual?" I suppose that depends on how his religion defines shaving one's head.
Inmates are NOT denied the ability to practice their religion, or attend school, for that matter, while incarcerated. Many do so, which is why there are prison chaplains who attend to the religious needs of inmates. Read the article again, it was NOT decided on the fact that his head was shaved by the guards under the order of the warden. It was decided on a technicality that they were the only ones being sued, rather than the institution. I have responded to this article that the suit should be refiled, naming the DOC of Louisiana as the defendant, and after he wins, let them deal with the guards and warden that need to have their careers ended by terrorizing an inmate.
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Lady Mutt Cat
Your comment is absolutely untrue. A person in prison still has rights. Your general attitude toward incarcerated people is ghastly. It was acknowledged that this man’s Constitutional rights were violated. The issue seems to be that he had no recourse.
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Ari Joseph Bertine
What I don't understand is if the courts recognize that his beliefs were violated, and recognize that violating this particular belief compromises bodily integrity and was cruel and unusual punishment, why was the case not pursued on charges of assault and c&u treatment? I hope that this will be done as a followup.
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Will Shrewsberryson
hi
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JT Sunrise
The prison took his hair.
That is not the deepest injury.
The deepest injury was believing that a man’s conscience could be handcuffed with his wrists.
Whether the sacred object is dreadlocks, a yarmulke, a cross, a hijab, an eagle feather, or folded hands in prayer is almost beside the point.
The question is simple:
Does government possess the authority to humiliate a soul after it has already deprived the body of liberty?
Prison is the loss of freedom—not the loss of humanity.
A society reveals its true theology not by how it treats the powerful, but by how it treats the person it has complete power over.
The Supreme Court’s decision addressed a legal remedy, not whether the guards acted properly. Even Louisiana acknowledged the shaving should not have happened and later changed its policy. Yet when a right exists without an effective remedy against those who violate it, that right can feel hollow to the person who suffered the violation. (Universal Life Church Monastery)
As ministers, we should be careful not to ask whether we approve of another person’s faith before defending their freedom to practice it.
Religious liberty that protects only the religions we like is not liberty.
It is preference.
Every person bears the image of God before they bear the label of prisoner, Christian, Rastafarian, atheist, conservative, liberal, citizen, or convict.
If we forget that, we have not merely failed the prisoner.
We have diminished ourselves.
— Rev. JTSUNRISE
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Rev. Kev
Remember kiddies, this is 'Murica. Land of the free as long as you have the right nationality and are an evangelical Christian Nationalist.
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Steven Ferrell
It seems a bit of an oxymoron that he’d wants to say it is his faith that prohibits cutting his hair and yet his faith did not stop him from committing a crime that caused his incarceration???
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Stella L. Wright
I was an officer in a prison in Kentucky, and there are rules for sanitation when someone starts their incarceration. That being said, this man had served all but 3 weeks of his sentence and had passed through other institutions before someone decided his hair needed to be shaved. We don't know if he was checked for lice or fleas, or if he was offered (and refused) treatment for parasites before this action took place.
The actions of the Warden and the Officer can't be attributed to refusing the inmate his religious rights, but more likely can be attributed to either the correctional employees forcing their power over this person, or the fact that they have been lied to so much that they simply don't believe anything any inmate tells them. But tying him down? Unless he was violent or psychotic, that absolutely was unnecessary!!
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Cam Kirmser
Hmm, one's rights being curtailed when imprisoned.
Gee, that's never happened before.
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Laurie Lieberman
Until the power of love overcomes the love of power, there can be no peace. Landon had reportedly "served his sentence without incident," making this act one of brutal control. WRONG IN SO MANY WAYS!
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Markselot
By definition faith is a matter of the heart, something we believe, not something we do. His hair is a demonstration of that faith, not the vessel where it resides. Shaving his head should have nothing at all to do with what he believes, he can still believe if his dreads are gone. Besides, he didn't do this of his own volition, it was done against his will. Unlike Samson the Nazarite, he agreed to let Delilah shave his head. My opinion on whether the state has a right to shave his head is the same as some others have stated, he gave up his rights when he broke the law (assuming he is guilty). lt has nothing to do with what religion he holds or what color his skin. It has everything to do with why he is in that facility and whose rights and privileges he violated to get there. Same holds with Muslims, Jews or any other practice that requires a physical representation of their faith. Should have thought of that before you broke the law.
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Rev. Kev
Actually, what a person does and sees as sacred is also a part of faith.
No one outside of that faith has the right to tell people of a faith what is sacred or necessary to practise that faith. That's essentially you, or anyone else doing that, thinking you can speak for their God or gods or holy teachers.
Would you be OK if someone just declared for you what is a part of your faith or not? That what you believe or do isn't valid? That what your God or scriptures or church teaches you should be ignored because they say so?
The lesson of doing unto others applies here, in addition to stepping outside of yourself and trying to consider this from the other person's point of view.
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Lester
"Would you be OK if someone just declared for you what is a part of your faith or not? That what you believe or do isn't valid? That what your God or scriptures or church teaches you should be ignored because they say so?"
Uhhh.... They do... All the time....
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Rev. Kev
Which didn't answer my question.
Of course, the real question is would you be OK if they imposed their judgement on you by force?
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Lester
"Would you be OK if someone just declared for you what is a part of your faith or not? That what you believe or do isn't valid? That what your God or scriptures or church teaches you should be ignored because they say so?"
Uhhh.... They do... All the time....
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Rev. Kev
Which didn't answer my question.
Of course, the real question is would you be OK if they imposed their judgement on you by force?
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Patricia Sydney Solis
Shear racism by a tainted SCOTUS.
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Tami Tabone
I absolutely disagree with how this was handled. Rules for one prison vs. Rules for another. And no care about religious belief or pride. But on the other side, if you are a convict, and doing prison time, you no longer have the same rights. You are under the rhumb if said prison rules, and like when you join the military, they tell YOU what to do. Unfortunately, mamy people are forced to do time eithout doing the crime. That is a terrible situation. But again, if you do crimes, you lose rights. I still believe this sounds like an act of hate against a rastafarian, from how it is described. A person of color. I would really like to see video footage to see how 8t all went down.
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Roy S. Thorpe
The world is filled with a lot of self- righteous people! The Karens and Kens in modern speak! Their time is coming!
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John Alex Paxson
Once you are committed to a prison, all rights and religious practices should be removed since rights and religion were violated. (My opinion).
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Jeff Grippe
Thank you for clarifying that this is your opinion and not the law. Get enough people to agree with you and change the law. Until then, prisoners still have rights. Again, it is worth pointing out that this case hinged on a technicality of the law, and not whether or not he had rights.
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Michael Dwayne Cooper
He left out the part in a Nazarite vow to be celebrate. He was doing a partial vow which would still stand. I do a Nazarite vow to keep myself separated to God as a single person. I switch to a partial vow to be able to drink wine at religious functions like communion or the Passover. The idea for me is to stay Celebrate for God. It's actually easier under a Nazarite vow. He also left out the part about no strong drink; this goes beyond wine and the fruit of the vine. We are by Biblical teaching require to teach the vow to our youth and require them to practice the vow total or partial until marriage. The Jews by tradition encourage the vow for 28 days then you come off of it. I'm considered a fanatic for keeping a long vow. I asked a Rabbi what exactly they expected me to do after 28 days plus I don't see any 28 days mentioned in the Bible. The one part of the vow that can't be broke is touching a dead body, to do so is if you never started a vow. But all said and done the vow is meant for you to draw closer to God not to be holy enough, none of us will ever be holy enough. Thats where the grace of Jesus comes into play. Only accepting Jesus and his perfection saves and justifies us.
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Wilberta M. Berry
Whites are always going to treat black people like cattle slaves. That mindset is indelibly ingrained in the white societies DNA and no amount of laws are going to change it. As a matter of this current Supreme Court, they are encouraging the ownership and disparities to continue. This is truly scandalous.
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Vickie J. Dodson
I disagree. Your heart is bitter.
"To invite the Holy Spirit to transform a hateful heart, you must approach God with honesty, humility, and surrender. The Holy Spirit is the one who “gives life” (John 6:68) and can replace bitterness with love, peace, and compassion."
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Wilberta M. Berry
Beautiful words don't always tell the truth and the truth isn't always beautiful. Being honest about History and the incessant denigration of the Black people is not bitterness. It's just honesty. One of the reasons racism will never be eradicated is because people like you rather see bitterness in truth instead of addressing that reality. Religion has l played a massive role in promoting racism with the " curse of Ham" nonsense with Noah's son. If God made man in his image then we all must manifest his attributes. Therefore categorizing people based on their skin colour or hair styles are the prejudice and racism of man not God. Facts and Truth have nothing to do with bitterness. They are just facts and truth. Maybe it is you that harbor bitterness because you can't handle the truth.🤔
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Vickie J. Dodson
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Timothy
What about the Irish who were treated equally as persons of color in history. You seem to fall back on this issue like a vengeful crutch. STOP THE HATE! Move on heal and learn it is not right to equste stereotypical behavior based on past histories. For you to call me a racist based on my skin color is wrong. I was poor from a poor family but made something of my life. Noone is perfect, we are all guilty of prejudice in fact at some point. Just don't use it as a Clarion call to disseminate more hate.
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Lady Mutt Cat
I disagree. I was born and raised in Hawai’i. I am white although I wasn’t really even aware of this fact until I moved to the Mainland as a teenager. If race is not important, people don’t develop these hateful attitudes.
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Cullen Graeff Phillips
Moral of the story...don't commit criminal acts. Where was his faith when he committed the crime? At that point, he traded his faith.
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Jeff Grippe
How astounding that you clearly understand: 1. What his crime was. 2. How well the legal system dispensed justice to him. 3. What his history is. 4. Whether or not this was simply a power play on the part of the prison.
Let he that is without sin, etc.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
And 1, 2 and 3 should be unimportant to those involved in #4.
It could have been ganja related. For a Rasta ganja is is sacramental wine.
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Katie Roerig
Not every person in jail has committed a criminal act, we like to think so, it calms our minds and spirits... Maybe he took bread for his family, maybe he stood up to a regime, protected an immigrant, maybe his Faith required him to be under Creators laws not man... Judge not, least ye be judged.
So no redemption, got it. You make a mistake and Creator turns their back on you as a leper for life, interesting take... Moral of the story, compassion, overstanding, redemption, and injustice. Do faithful people need to stand up for injustice? Or we just going to say, they were in jail, deserve no rights, Creator has shunned them?! Wowza, and this is the intelligent and compassionate group, we are in serious trouble. Bless Up:)
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Multiple ‘thumbs up’. I can hear those words in my head…with a Jamaican accent.
He could be in there for having his sacramental ‘wine’.
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Ari Joseph Bertine
That outlook makes Jesus's sacrifice pointless. If forgiveness is impossible and redemption isn't a thing then Jesus might as well have never existed. Kind of a shame to throw all that away just to excuse the cruelty of power-drunk screws.
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Vickie J. Dodson
Agree. If he had not committed a crime, he would still have his hair.
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Lady Mutt Cat
It was an absolutely disgusting thing to do to cut his hair, and a clear violation of his Constitutional rights. As I understand the holding, and I haven’t read the entire opinion, he sued the wrong defendant. I hope he refiles.
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
As long as its still allowed, for those in charge of raising kiddies, from infancy, to be brainwashed (aka, taught) only one of the many thousands, of various man-made religions, there is no religious freedom in the USA. Religiously-brainwashed little kiddies, were denied the opportunity to select their own religion — because without religiously-brainwashing little kiddies, all organized religions would “wither on the vine, then die.” The main reason, that adults still don’t believe in Santa Clause, is because they are told (sometimes sooner, than later) that no one believes in Santa, as an adult — Santa is only for kiddies — while Holy Ghost’s are supposed to be still believed as adults. And, we’re expected to respect such brainwashing?
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Lady Mutt Cat
Agreed. I was very lucky to have been born into a religiously mixed home. Neither was shoved down my throat, and I was free to explore on my own.
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Leslie A. Hulberg Née Tomasura
I believe it is inherently wrong to do this to this man. I also believe it is inherently wrong to remove 180 religions from being recognized by our military. If this country supports religious freedom, it must practice religious freedom for and from ALL RELIGION! It’s like saying, we’re all created equal but some are more equal than others.
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Mary Smith
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Mary Smith
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Mary Smith
Regardless of our individual faith traditions, freedom of conscience matters. Scripture reminds us that following our convictions isn’t always easy. Jesus told His followers that opposition would come, yet He also called us to respond with faith, grace, and perseverance. Our role is not to return hostility with hostility, but to stand firm while respecting the dignity and religious freedom of others.
John 15:18–20 ✝️
*“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
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Dr Dennis Chevalier, MDiv, PhD, DDvin, ULC honorary DD
Amen!
Dr. D
p.s. I see that you are suddenly having lots of deletions too. I have reported these against you, me and others. The insider that's still getting away with censure because of their personal ideological beliefs. Will be caught.
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
No religion (besides the Universal Life Church, — if that’s categorized as a religion) offers complete freedom — except the Universal Life Church.
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ServantOfJudgement
Ahhh, we do have censorship. We can not freely speak here.
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Michael Hunt
I mean, if asking people to be polite and constructive and not use profanity or insults is censorship, society has been censoring everyone for generations.
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ServantOfJudgement
Yes, self censorship is the preference Michael. To be fair to ulc, the give a long leash compared to other forums.
Ever watch any First Amendment auditors on YouTube? Some are downright nasty in the spirit of free speech. I think they missed the point.
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ServantOfJudgement
If I'm a prison guard with a wife and kids, that mop is getting cut. I ain't digging through it for shivs and meth.
He violated his faith with a cocaine nose and a tweaker Friday night. Don't want the hair cut again? Lay off the narcotics when you book on out.
When we break the law we certain rights. We can't have special hairdos and religious robes in prison. This is all a no brainier. Of course the hair gets cut. Geez dummy.
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Ari Joseph Bertine
Looks like you didn't read the article. According to the law, you don't lose religious rights in prison, and according to the law, his rights *were wrongly violated. How interesting that you seem to think that the unconstitutional, illegal action is the no-brainer that you so enthusiastically promote.
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ServantOfJudgement
Ari, it's a religious right for some islamists to kill unbelievers.
Another one eats peyote.
Another one sacrifices animals.
I wonder if we should let all the religions do all the things they do in prison.
Silly stuff huh?
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Katie Roerig
"Geez dummy" thank you Reverend Servant of Judgement. Your name speaks maga volumes, my apology mega volumes. May you have the life you deserve, Blessings and light:)
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ServantOfJudgement
I'm not a reverend though I Revere the bible.
My full name means God's Gracious and Precious Servant Of Judgement. I was named 45 years before I became a Christian. Amazing!!
We should all aspire to Make America Great. Though Im not a member of the club and don't have the hat, I've been working on making America great since I could work.
Katie, I pray you have a life better than you deserve.
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Katie Roerig
Greetings {Ian Alan MacGillivray..?.}
Thank you for clarifing that you are not a Reverend.
It is wonderful to start locally with good intentions, but one should not stop there. This is one world and one people, compassion and betterment to all, at all stages and abilities.
Please do not pray for that. I do not want that. I want what I deserve, I reap what I sow. I plant carefully, with intention, knowing the ripples it makes. I do not want more than I have given, pray that all have food, water, and shelter.
Blessings on your trod, Brother:)
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Jenni B
Women in prison don’t have their hair forcibly shaved, so why should any man?
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John Alex Paxson
everyone should.
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Katie Roerig
Down vote.
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ServantOfJudgement
Jennie,
Women don't generally make a shank and hide it in their hair.
Male prisons are far and beyond more violent and dangerous than woman prisons. Not even close.
I'm correct. The mop had to go.
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Lady Mutt Cat
No, judgement less. You don’t make the rules. The law needs to be upheld, and thankfully the laws of the U.S. aren’t up to you.
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Lady Mutt Cat
Thank you so much for letting us all know just how little respect you have for the law and the Constitution.
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ServantOfJudgement
You bet I do. That's why the mop had to go.
Break the law, deal with its consequences.
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Lady Mutt Cat
I completely agree, judgement less. I will be one of those cheering when you violate someone’s Constitutional rights and wind up in jail yourself.
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Timothy
Yet in NJ they allow special considerations for transgender inmates to have special cosmetics and clothing in a mixed male/female setting. So I fail to see your point officer. You are indeed inflicting your own values on an individual.
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ServantOfJudgement
I'm not an officer Timothy I was saying if I were and the state or fed required short clean hair I'll be first in line to cut the mop off. I don't care about religious trappings at all for prisoners. Let them read whatever book they read and it ends there.
As far as the transgender prisoners go, that law is bad too. No special treatment for anyone in prison beyond what's medically nesecary.
It's prison for crying out loud.
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Timothy
There in lies the question, was it mandated by law? Having had it as long as time as they did has a precedent been set by the authorities for keeping or not keeping due to health or legal considerations. BTW food for thought Jesus Christ was a criminal, tried, sentenced and executed by the government in a court of the people. I wonder what you would say to him.
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James Riggle-Johnson
This is wrong on so many levels. There is no accountability here. The warden and guards should face consequences for violating this man's rights. They ignored the documentation he provided and refused to contact his attorney before cutting his hair.
What infuriates me most is the hypocrisy. If we are going to have religious freedom, it has to apply to everyone, not just the faiths that happen to be popular or familiar. A person's religious beliefs do not become less worthy of protection because they are incarcerated or belong to a minority faith tradition.
The courts have repeatedly stepped in to protect the religious rights of Christians, often bending over backward to ensure those rights are respected. Yet when a man practicing a minority faith has his religious beliefs violated, they suddenly seem far less concerned. Religious liberty either belongs to all of us or to none of us.
I read someone’s earlier comment that said, “the guards were doing it because he was Black and not really Christian.” I have to agree with that.
I'll remember stories like this the next time someone claims that Christianity is under attack in America.
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The Right Reverend D. Batch
Sorry, you give up rights when you become a criminal. Serve your sentence, get released and grow it back, Also, don't reoffend.
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Jeff Grippe
Where is it written that you give up your rights?
How do you know that the legal system didn't fail him? Is it possible that he wasn't guilty at all? I'm not saying that is the case, but is it possible?
Just to be clear, are you saying that prisoners, even the guilty ones, have no rights at all? If not, then somebody must be deciding what rights they have and don't have. If this was the Marine Corps., Then he signed on to have his hair removed. This isn't the Marines, however, and he should be secure in his person, especially if he was a prisoner who behaved.
The article was silent on that.
Meanwhile, the court didn't say he had no rights. Instead, the whole decision hinged on a technical point, and not on rights, merits, etc.
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Timothy
Honestly I believe the warden should have had an arbitration on it. Considering what was at stake and the fact Landor already had been allowed to keep it should have at least warranted a review of action before acting. BTW inmates do have rights. We all make mistakes. As long as the hair did not threaten or endanger the inmate or the rest of the general population or staff, I see no reason for summarily carrying out this action.
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Lady Mutt Cat
You don’t give up your right to freedom of religion.
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John Alex Paxson
Comment removed by user.
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John Alex Paxson
100% Agree!!
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Keoni Ronald May
The department of corrections has the last say.
The department of corrections policy, and, not the corrections officers, would have to be declared unconstitutional.
He had long hair throughout his incarceration and there did not appear to be a problem.
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Reverend Paula Copp
This has nothing to do with his religion; it has everything to do with control and humiliation of the victim… may they get back what they inflict upon others!
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Melinda Fulk
This makes me so angry. And I am willing to bet the guards were doing it because he was Black and not really Christian in their eyes. Hysteria Podcasting just did an excellent ripping apart of Justice John Roberts that is worth a listen if you want a good look at how his time as Chief Justice has led to much reduction in individual rights, especially if you aren't a fundamentalist Christian.
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Elvin St. James
when you Abdicate your Freedom to Some Higher earthly Authority, All personal Belief Systems are Abdicated!
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Dr Dennis Chevalier, MDiv, PhD, DDvin, ULC honorary DD
where did my comment go?
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Rev. BH
Doc, you seem to be the only one who claims his comments are constantly removed. Maybe you just screw up your postings?
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Dr Dennis Chevalier, MDiv, PhD, DDvin, ULC honorary DD
Most don't make the comment for the BBS to see, and at first I did the same thing. But when no responses were given to me from the moderators, I took to public claims and that's when I got action over the issue. So far 1 was removed as a moderator for this.
Dr. D
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Lady Mutt Cat
He has a lot of issues, Rev. BH.
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Rev. BH
Amen, Lady Mutt Cat!
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Katie Roerig
Helpful insights given to assist this man in ensuring his words are represented.
No harshness or exasperation noted. Bless Up:)
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Rev. Miche'al Yosef Dixon
Once upon another lifetime I was a sheriff deputy in East Felicia Parish Sheriff's department (a tax payer funded drug cartel), then a , corrections officer for Louisiana Department of safety and corrections at DCI (another Drug cartel storage and distribution center) {quit and went to Mississippi Department of Corrections got paid twice as much with reduced from Sargent to corrections office & not as corrupt}. Louisiana does not obey any rights or boarders. In 2024 I watched a man cuffed to a chair and hair cut in exactly same manner at River Bend Corrections. Ivf seen and been men handcuffed beaten and raped brutally by guards and/or guards letting other prisoners. I filed a 1983 suite against guards at Vidala corrections center they hznc cuffed me beat me until I coughed blood 3 days, handcuffed naked to a bed raped by other prisoners. Judge said my rights not violated as "it was not done as punishment but for the guards pleasure". In my appeal the 5th circuit ruled "mister Dixon's rights do not matter as the constitution is only toilet paper with ink blots. Nov 2011. State of Louisiana although FBI, Mississippi, California, Missouri all said , not crime occurred. Louisiana has jurisdiction over those states and Federal government. Louisiana says, "nineteen years old is under the age of seventeen years old". "Anyone under 21 years old is a juvenile and it is illegal for a person over 21 to have sexual actions with that person." The current government Jeff Landry while Attorney General petition Congress three times to make Louisiana a prison state put a fence around the state. His petition Congress five times since becoming governor. Now as to the man assaulted by the rent-a-cops; coming from a raised Jewish faith, the Vow of the Nazarite is for Israelites only, if he actually has Israeli blood in his veins great. But then taking the vow and not following every single instruction to the letter will turn it into a curse; the very story of Samson is example. Yes, his hair untouched was a placebo to give him strength, however drinking wine and fornication his life was cursed with bad luck. Also when you take a vow of the Nazarite you set a time limit on how long that vow last. Yeshua (Jesus) took the vow for life, he drank grape/vinegar on the cross, most his hair ripped out at the torture session. Fulfilling the instructions best He could under the circumstances. Most give the vow for shorter time spans, 20-40 years time of studying and learning YHWH's plans for you. Further as an Israeli we are instructed "Let not a razer touch your head, not a razor touch thy face or between thy eyebrows." Exception given for medical quarantine procedures. Yes, the modern medical quarantine procedures are written straight from Mosaic Law.
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Katie Roerig
Greetings, Do you believe that a very righteous person who has taken a Nazarite vow will be cursed because they do not have Israeli blood? Bless Up:)
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Najah P Tamargo
Najah Tamargo-USA
This is disgusting and revolting! Religious beliefs are sacred in ANY faith, even the ones that are small and not adhered to by the mainstream of society. All faiths deserve RESPECT, even in prison!!!
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Elizabeth Jane Erbe Wilcox
I find myself enraged by this. Wrong wrong wrong.
On the other hand, I despise the “sincerely held religious beliefs” trope.
Gives me something to think about. I’m not sure I can reconcile the two.
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Ari Joseph Bertine
I find myself pondering the same thing. On one hand, we see in this same newsletter a man using his religious beliefs to harm others, and being upheld by the court. And then there's this, where the court upheld the law but could not award damages because of a weird technicality. Without the technicality, would these two cases have ended up similar? Or would we still see the court impotent due to the lack of social power due to minority status of both plaintiff and religion? Regardless of the reason, it still appears that in today's courts, faith makes a better weapon than a shield.
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Similar feeling here.
I’ve seen dreads in Jamaica. Month long vacations on several occasions. That picture was nothing like the dreads in Jamaica worn by the Rastas I saw throughout the country. They are decorative, ‘shaped’ versions. I remember seeing this one guy walking down the street in the Negril. His hair was below his knees. It was essentially one big rope as big as my bicep. A few little additional ropey, strands here and there, but basically one big rope. And all the ones that I saw were matted strands of one sort, size or another.
Bob Marley made reggae music popular and with it came a fad of growing those. It became a fashion. This guy were shaped. Carefully shaped. It showed a degree of vanity that the true rastas don’t have.
That being the claim of ‘sincerely held religious beliefs’ becomes similar to wearing a lowercase T on a necklace around your neck with the little fish symbol on your cap and yet all the while spewing racist hate and religious bigotry.
But it was still wrong to cut them off. Which have to recognize this is a black man in Louisiana. I’m generalizing some hot, but you have to admit that when you think of ‘prison guard in Louisiana’ the term ‘ignorant, racist redneck’ kind of springs to mind at the same time.
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Katie Roerig
Bless Up:) Yes, there are different forms of dreadlocks. Free form is what you describe in Jamaica. Stop combing and hair naturally locks, no comb, no vanity as you say... As Jesus may have had locs, middle Eastern man, 40 days and 40 nights, do you think he was combing his hair?
There are also colored fake locs that can be sewn into hair for festival folk... Palm roll with product, crotchet of natural hair... Dreadlocks may be an intentional Nazarite vow or a 'hippy'. It is a keen eye to discern the freeform and the separated and intentionally formed locs. And to note that not all locs represent a vow of separation unto Creator. Locs as a hairstyle vs vow. Are you saying this man is claiming religion to benefit himself? Just as the cross wearing 'Christian' hypocrites do while harming our people?
What is a 'true' Rasta? Is a bald Rasta a true Rasta?
Was I a true Rasta when I had freeform locs? Was I a true Rasta when I cut my locs to ensure I was the same with or without my hair? Am I a true Rasta with separated locs? Who is judging my 'trueness'? What if I have chemotherapy and lose my hair, am I a true Rasta?
Rasta comes from Livity.
I am outcast and treated differently whether my locs are natty or tamed, and I sleep well. My actions speak for themselves, but I am not perfect.
You cannot judge ones faith by appearance or circumstance alone, humans within seconds use schemas to categorize and label, subconsciously, it is up to us to use logic, and our words, to overstand and connect to others.
Blessings on your trod:)
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
The things that I remember the most about the rastas in Jamaica was a calmness and peacefulness. It was palpable. From what you’ve said in your post, I think you’ll understand what I say that I saw lots of people with dreads, but some carried that air of peacefulness.
And yes, I was saying that the person in question may have had a declaration growing out of his head. But if those are real rather than a weave, then some thought should have been given to how much time was required to have grown them.
But it’s Louisiana that we were talking about. Bubba wanted to have some fun. And I’ll bet your money that if you ask Bubba if he was a Christian, he’d say yes.
I and I be irie, mon.
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Katie Roerig
Blessings Brother!
Very sad hypocricies abound in modern America.....
P.S. InI is a beautiful expression! I and (I) signifies that I and all people and the Creator are connected, where (JAH) (God) moves, I am too. InI go to the store, I do not go to the store alone, Creator is always with me and within me. One Human Family connected by Creator/ Creation. Bless Up:)
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Dr. Zerpersande, NSC
Rastas seem to live in calmness.
I saw a recent pic of Rick’s Cafe in Negril. I remember going there during the day and maybe having 20 people in the place. Now it looks more like it’s 300. Just thinking about it makes me unsettled. I know how I feel like I went back and I don’t wanna feel that. But I expect that the roster us can walk through and fill like they always feel.
I’m not into the god thing. But regardless of what you may believe your comment produced a calmness in me because it reminded me of what I felt in Jamaica. For me I-and-I really means me and you. Or me and others.
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Colleen McAllister
This is wrong on many levels. Rastafarians worship.the same God we do. I'm not sure what their relationship with Jesus is, but that is between them and the Father. The prison should have enforced the court judgement even down to making the Warden and guards obey. What they did to this man is inexcusable. I sympathize with how he must feel. The Warden and guards who shaved his head need to be punished for this desecration.
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Ari Joseph Bertine
I think that they cannot be punished for the desecration, but I would suggest that desecrating someone outside of necessary actions is assault. I hope he will continue to pursue justice, on whatever path it requires.
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
As Thomas Jefferson clearly implied— in his “Declaration of Independence” Nature’s God needs no worshiping; however if anyone needs to worship anything— worship the Sun, because the Sun (via, Nature) is the source of all life.”
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Nicholas J Page
Rastafarians don't cut their dreadlocks according to their religion yet this guys hair was shaved that's a violation of his faith and also he had been humiliated in the worse possible way it's disgusting and degrading.
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Katie Yvonne Grogan
You soooo correct brother, these men practice this same believe that was held in ancient Holy lands and Samson, and Samuel along with many other prophets were Nazarenes. just as the Philistines cut Samson hair and changed him up to humiliate him and his belief in the creator, so did these guards to this man.
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This is just an interesting article on police-caused deaths. This isn’t published in some leftie rag. It’s in the Journal of the American Medical Association. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2851421?guestAccessKey=9b976f34-37b7-49a2-958a-79d4e7df7f20&utm_medium=email&utm_source=postup_jn&utm_campaign=article_alert-jama&utm_content=olf-tfl_&utm_term=070826