CAIR sues Virginia prison over lack of Ramadan accommodation

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Muslim inmate at a correctional facility in Virginia for allegedly not providing proper accommodation for his Ramadan requirements.

The suit has been filed against the Virginia Department of Corrections and authorities at the Green Rock Correctional Center, located in a small town in southern Virginia. 

Alexander Crichlow converted to Islam in January, and since then he has repeatedly asked prison authorities to provide him with Ramadan accommodations in line with other Muslims at the Green Rock, including a pre-dawn meal and a double serving of dinner at sunset and permission to gather for evening prayers with other Muslims, according to a statement by CAIR.

The authorities at Green Rock, however, have reportedly refused to accommodate Critchlow because he converted to Islam after the facility's November deadline to sign up for Ramadan accommodations.

CAIR states in its lawsuit that this policy violates the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, requiring authorities to accommodate an inmate's religious practice, if they can easily do so. 

"Virginia's inflexible policy barring recent converts to Islam from receiving Ramadan accommodations is ridiculous and unlawful," said CAIR Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas in a public statement. "We look forward to vindicating Mr Crichlow's rights in federal court."

The issue of Ramadan accommodation in correctional facilities tends to come up every year, with lawsuits regularly often filed multiple times by civil rights groups during the Muslim holy month.