Prisoners win fight to watch solar eclipse and will be given viewing glasses
Among the droves of people seeking to watch the total solar eclipse across North America are six prisoners who went so far as suing for their right to do so.
The inmates in New York of five different faiths argued that the phenomenon coming on Monday afternoon is a ‘religious event’ they have a constitutional right to witness.
Four days before the event, the prisoners’ wishes have been granted.
‘We are pleased that, in response to our lawsuit alleging religious discrimination, New York State has entered into a binding settlement agreement that will allow our six clients to view the solar eclipse in accordance with their sincerely held religious beliefs,’ stated their attorney, Christopher McArdle, to The Washington Post.
Officials with the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) had been reviewing their individual requests. The prisoners at Woodbourne Correctional Facility in Sullivan County filed their lawsuit in federal court last Friday.
‘The lawsuit came to an appropriate resolution,’ stated DOCCS spokesman Thomas Mailey.
A partial eclipse is expected to be experienced at the prison, which is not in the path of totality, for roughly two-and-a-half hours beginning shortly after 2pm. The six inmates will be allowed to go out to the prison yard and use the safety glasses to see it.
The DOCCS acting commissioner on March 11 had issued a statewide ‘lockdown memo’ stating that the prison facilities would be operating on a holiday schedule on April 8 and that inmates were to ‘remain in their housing units from 2pm to 5pm.
An atheist, Jeremy Zielinski, was the first inmate to request viewing access, arguing that ‘it is a central aspect of atheism to celebrate common humanity and bring people together to encourage people to find common ground’, the lawsuit stated.
His co-plaintiffs include a Baptist, Travis Hudson; a Seventh Day Adventist, David Haigh; a Muslim, Jean Marc Desmarat; and two Santeria religion followers, Bruce Moses and Oscar Nunez.
Another attorney for them, Madeline Byrd, said she hopes the settlement will set a precedent for other prisoners who wish to see the phenomenon.
‘We’re hopeful (the corrections department) will do the right thing,’ stated Byrd. ‘We’re hopeful they will also review the other requests and grant them.’
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