Supreme Court reviews Rastafarian dreadlocks case

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    WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to examine the case of Damon Landor, a former Louisiana inmate, who is contesting the forced cutting of his dreadlocks by prison guards, an act that he claims violated his religious beliefs. The central issue concerns whether Landor can seek financial compensation from the prison officials under a federal statute designed to protect prisoners’ religious rights.

    Landor adheres to the Rastafari religion, which prohibits the cutting of hair. Upon entering Louisiana’s prison system in 2020 for a short five-month sentence, he maintained his dreadlocks, having not cut his hair for almost 20 years. Initially, at his first two prison locations, his religious practices were respected by the authorities. However, upon his transfer to Raymond Laborde Correctional Center in Cottonport for the final stage of his incarceration, things took a drastic turn.

    Despite carrying a court ruling safeguarding religious prisoners from having their dreadlocks cut—a decision related to another inmate’s case—Landor’s copy of the document was discarded by a guard, according to court documents. The warden then commanded the guards to cut his dreadlocks. Two guards restrained Landor while a third shaved his head down to the scalp.

    Following his release, Landor sought legal recourse, but his case was dismissed by lower courts. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals expressed regret over Landor’s treatment but concluded that the current law did not enable him to hold prison authorities financially accountable for their actions. Now, the Supreme Court is set to conduct hearings in the autumn to delve deeper into this contentious issue.

    Landor’s legal team is urging the court to draw parallels with a prior ruling from 2021, which allowed Muslim men to seek damages for being wrongfully included on the FBI’s no-fly list. This parallels the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a sister statute to the law at play in Landor’s case.

    In a turn of support, the administration under former President Donald Trump submitted a brief favoring Landor’s case, advocating for his right to pursue legal action.

    Despite acknowledging the mistreatment Landor endured, Louisiana’s representatives petitioned the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal. They highlighted reforms to the state’s prison grooming policies designed to prevent similar incidents in the future.

    The Rastafari religion, which originated in Jamaica in the 1930s, was born out of the experiences of Black individuals under colonial rule. It combines Old Testament doctrines with a longing for a return to Africa. The faith was notably spread globally by reggae artists like Bob Marley and Peter Tosh in the 1970s, becoming emblematic of Rastafari beliefs around the world.

    The case being considered is officially titled “Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections, 23-1197.”