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Federal District Court Holds Ohio Prison Cannot Cut Rastafarian Prisoner’s Hair
by Matt Clarke
On May 14, 2018, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Patricia A. Gaughan ruled the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) could not enforce a grooming policy that required a Rastafarian prisoner to cut his dreadlocks.
The district court declared the grooming policy, as …
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More from this issue:
- Louisiana Sex Offender Restrictions, Harsh Laws Prolong Prison Sentences
- Defense Investigator Jailed for Initially Refusing to Testify in Death Penalty Case, by Matthew Clarke
- Pennsylvania: Allegheny County Jail Settles Sexual Assault Claim for $32,000
- Dog-Sniff Search Policy Allowed Under Massachusetts Law, but APA Procedures Required
- BOP’s Violation of Alcohol Policy Ends in Expungement, Reversal of Disciplinary Sanctions, by Dale Chappell
- Over-Incarceration a Worldwide Problem, Report Finds, by Derek Gilna
- Prisoner Can Face Discipline Yet Still Sue Guard for Excessive Force Under Heck
- Mississippi: Former Jailer Acquitted of Criminal Charges in Prisoner’s Death, by Kevin Bliss
- Oklahoma County Pays $150,000 to Settle Suit Over Jail Suicide, by Derek Gilna
- Class-Action Status Granted in Civil Rights Suit Over Disenfranchised Indiana Jail Prisoners, by Matthew Clarke
- New York’s Prison-to-Shelter Pipeline is Poor Option for Parolees, by Dale Chappell
- Deductions from Pennsylvania Prisoner’s Trust Account Require Notice
- Female Texas Prison Guards Allege Sexual Harassment, Abuse, Discrimination, by Edward Lyon
- Surprise Shutdown of Maine Prison Leads to Controversy, Court Order, by Christopher Zoukis
- Polls Show People Favor Rehabilitation over Incarceration, by Matthew Clarke
- New Mexico Prisoners Suffer and Die Under Privatized Health Care, by Edward Lyon
- Ohio Jail Detainee Receives $500,000 Settlement for Assault by Guard
- Maryland Adopts Prison Mailbox Rule for Post-Conviction Petitions
- $7,500 Settlement in Pennsylvania Prisoner’s Suicide
- San Diego County Targets Reporter Who Exposed Sky-High Jail Death Rate, by Dale Chappell
- Litigation Surrounding Radon Exposure at Connecticut Prison Moves Forward, by Panagioti Tsolkas
- #MeToo Movement, Misconduct Claims Impact Federal and State Judges, by Edward Lyon
- Magistrate Judge Must Have Jurisdiction Prior to Entering Final Judgment
- Maricopa County, Phoenix Settle Lawsuit Over Mentally Ill Prisoner’s Death for $7.25 Million, by Matthew Clarke
- Arkansas DOC Says Water is Safe, but Most Tests Not Conducted in Housing Units, by Panagioti Tsolkas
- Texas Prison Officials Demoted, Fired after Disciplinary Quota System and Planted Contraband Exposed
- States Implementing New Technology to Fight Contraband Smuggling Via Drone, by Monte McCoin
- $7 Million Settlement for Pennsylvania Prisoner’s Suicide at Private Prison
- More Legal Cases Involving Transgender Prisoners in Multiple States, by Christopher Zoukis
- Fourth Circuit: Failure to Transfer Mentally Ill Prisoner to Hospital Not Actionable
- Fighting the Fees that Force Prisoners to Pay for Their Incarceration, by Jean Trounstine
- Ninth Circuit: Prisoner’s Disciplinary Appeal Exhausted Claim of Having to Work on Religious Holiday, by Christopher Zoukis
- California Prisoners Seek to Enforce Settlement Provisions in Ashker Litigation, by Kevin Bliss
- The Secret World of Missouri DOC Internal Death Investigations, by Kevin Bliss
- Why Prison Reform is Not Enough to Fix the U.S. Criminal Justice System, by Ed Chung
- Aramark Gets Pennsylvania DOC Food Procurement Contract
- California Muslim Prisoner Defeats Summary Judgment Order in Mixed Appellate Ruling, by Edward Lyon
- CCS Seeks to Hide Internal Review in Jail Detainee’s Death; $180,000 Settlement, by David Reutter, R. Bailey
- Alaska Supreme Court Reverses Disciplinary Case Where Prisoner Not Allowed to Call Witnesses, by Matthew Clarke, David Reutter
- Contraband Found in Prisoner’s Rectum Supports Conviction, by David Reutter
- Federal District Court Holds Ohio Prison Cannot Cut Rastafarian Prisoner’s Hair, by Matthew Clarke
- HRDC Sues Oklahoma County Jail for Censoring Books, by Steve Horn
- Exonerated Prisoner Invests Portion of $20 Million Settlement to Start Barber School, by Derek Gilna
- Death Sentences and Executions Ebbing in the “Capital of Capital Punishment”, by Edward Lyon
- Denver Pays $100,000 to Settle DOJ Suit Over Failure to Accommodate Diabetic Deputy, by Matthew Clarke
- Washington: Jail Detainee Obtains $1 Million Settlement for Spinal Injury, by Steve Horn
- Public Outcry Forces Florida DOC to Back Down on Limits to In-Person Visitation, by David Reutter
- Podcast Produced by Wisconsin Prisoner Tackles Criminal Justice Topics, by Steve Horn
- Justice Sotomayor Slams Solitary Confinement, but Supreme Court Declines to Accept Colorado Solitary Case, by Derek Gilna
- Arkansas: $21,000 Settlement in Jail Release Debit Card Class-Action Suit, by Derek Gilna
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- News in Brief
- On the Inside: The Chaos of Arizona Prison Health Care, by Jimmy Jenkins
More from Matthew Clarke:
- Eleventh Circuit Reinstates Alabama Prisoner’s Excessive Prison Violence Claim, Oct. 1, 2026
- Eleventh Circuit Upholds Most of Relief Ordered in Class-Action Lawsuit Challenging Unconstitutionally Inadequate Mental Health Care in Alabama Prisons, Oct. 1, 2026
- Fourth Circuit Upholds Denial of Qualified Immunity to Jail Supervisors Who Ignored Detainee’s Cranial Abscesses, Oct. 1, 2026
- Eighth Circuit Reverses District Court’s Denial of Motion to Dismiss Some Defendants from Lawsuit Over Missouri Prisoner’s Suicide, Oct. 1, 2026
- Eighth Circuit Grants Summary Judgment to Sheriff and County of Nebraska Jail Where Guard Sexually Assaulted Female Prisoner, Oct. 1, 2026
- Federal Court Orders Texas to Admit Incompetent Jailed Defendants to Mental Health Facilities Within 21 Days, Oct. 1, 2026
- Seventh Circuit Grants Qualified Immunity to Detectives Who Revealed Prisoner Was Informant, Denies Him Anonymity, Aug. 1, 2026
- Seventh Circuit Holds Federal Law Prohibits County Jail from Forcing Immigration Detainees to Perform Custodial Labor by Threatening Solitary Confinement, Aug. 1, 2026
- New Mexico Supreme Court Holds Corrections Department Regulations Do Not Exempt Use-Of-Force Documents from Public Records Disclosure, Aug. 1, 2026
- DOJ Issues Memorandum Over BOP Employees Abusing Their Law Enforcement Credentials to Illegally Purchase Personal Firearms, Aug. 1, 2026
More from these topics:
- Colorado Pays $245,000 to Muslim Former Prisoner Shaved by Same Guard Who Cost DOC Earlier Settlement with Jewish Prisoner Denied Kosher Meals, Aug. 1, 2026. Religious Discrimination, Overdetention, Religious Diet, Religious Practices, Immunity - Absolute and Qualified.
- SCOTUS Refuses to Allow Damages Under RLUIPA for Rastafarian Former Prisoner Shaved Bald by Louisiana Prison Officials, July 1, 2026. Religious Discrimination, Religious Practices, Damages - Compensatory, Adequacy of Remedy, Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
- $667,000 Awarded to Muslim Missouri Prisoners Pepper-Sprayed for Praying, April 1, 2026. Religious Discrimination, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Religious Practices, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Deliberate Indifference.
- SCOTUS Hears Oral Arguments on Rastafarian Hair-Cutting Case, Jan. 1, 2026. RLUIPA, Religious Practices, Damages - Compensatory, Wrongful Use of Force, Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
- $4,652 for Jewish Nevada Prisoner Denied Passover Meal, Jan. 1, 2026. Religious Discrimination, Food, Settlements, First Amendment, rights, Dismissal.
- Eighth Circuit Orders Preliminary Injunction Requiring Minnesota to Reinstate Program Teaching Biblical “Authentic Manhood”, Nov. 1, 2025. Religious Discrimination, Injunctions, Interlocutory Appeals, Protected Speech, Religious Freedom/Worship, Prison Regulations.
- $95,000 Paid to Nevada Prisoner Denied Muslim Prayer; Pending Cases Allege Continued Discrimination Against Non-Protestants, Aug. 1, 2025. Religious Discrimination, Denial of Religious Services, Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), Free Exercise Clause.
- Wiccan Nevada Prisoner Wins 18-Year Fight for Religious Items, July 15, 2025. Religious Discrimination, Denial of Religious Services, Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
- Ninth Circuit Reinstates Religious Exercise Claim from Arizona “Christian-Israelite” Prisoner Denied Passover Meal, June 1, 2025. Religious Discrimination, Religious Diet, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights.
- Fifth Circuit Reinstates Baha’i Texas Prisoner’s Dietary Claim, June 1, 2025. Religious Discrimination, Religious Diet, Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).

