TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jun 26, 2026

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday barred a former Louisiana inmate from suing prison officials who cut off his dreadlocks, in what he argued was a violation of his Rastafari religious beliefs, WSMV 4 reports. The justices condemned what happened to the former inmate, but ruled that a federal law designed to protect the religious rights of inmates does not permit lawsuits for money damages against individuals even when rights are violated. In a 6-3 decision, the court agreed with lower courts that,  without exception, the law Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, cannot be used to hold those who violate inmates’ rights financially responsible. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the majority, while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, arguing the decision weakens incentives for prison officials to comply with federal protections for inmates' religious rights.