Muslim Inmates Can Attend Friday Prayers

Muslim inmates in California can now attend Jumu'ah, Friday congregational prayer, thanks to a federal judge ruling on July 16. The 15-page order, issued by U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton, holds that every Muslim in the California prison system has the right to attend the Friday services.

Jum'uah prayers are always held on Friday around noontime. Each Friday, the imam, or religious leader, gives a sermon before the prayers are performed. California's estimated 10,000-11,000 Muslim inmates are now guaranteed the right to freely attend these Friday congregational gatherings.

The court order to allow Muslim inmates to attend Friday prayers followed a suit in 1995 by Ernest Fenelon, a California Medical Facility inmate, who sued for the right to attend the Jum'uah prayers. In February, Karlton granted Fenelon the freedom to attend Jumu'ah. It was after a series of rulings that Karlton made his recent ruling in favor of allowing all Muslim inmates in the state of California to be allowed to freely attend Jumu'ah prayers and held the state Department of Corrections in contempt.

Upon entering prison life, an inmate does not entirely lose all constitutional rights. The rights and privileges that an inmate enjoyed as a regular citizen come under stricter guidelines and scrutiny under the prison system. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The free exercise of religion by prison inmates is generally allowed providing these religious practices do not compromise security and safety concerns. Those against the recent court ruling in California argued that the freedom to allow inmates to attend Jumu'ah would interfere with the work program, cause security problems and call for an overhaul in prison regulations.

In the Muslim community, the court ruling in California came as a step forward in the future of the rights of Muslim inmates to practice their religious beliefs behind bars. Many prisons partake in prison chaplain programs throughout the United States where religious members from all faiths work together in assisting inmates in their spirituality. Several American Muslim organizations, such as the Islamic Foundation of America (IFA), provide Muslim Chaplain programs for the federal prison system. According to IFA, Yusef Estes, National Chaplain & Social Services Director, along with his wife, have been conducting prison teaching services for Muslim men and women behind bars for over five years. The Estes' are Christian reverts to Islam, who spread the message of Islam to schools, universities and other institutions, aside from the prisons. Estes was among the many Muslim chaplains who attended the 21st Annual Conference by the National Association of Muslim Chaplains from June 1-3, which included training and workshops.

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