American Humanist Association Reaches a
Settlement with Federal Bureau of Prisons to Recognize Humanism as a
Belief System encompassed by the First Amendment
The American Humanist Association reached a favorable
settlement in its lawsuit on behalf of a prisoner who identifies as a
Humanist after said prisoner was denied the ability to take advantage of
the same opportunities as other prisoners who identified with other
belief systems.
When the prison recorded the inmate’s information,
and when he requested that it recognize his Humanist identification, the
prison refused. This refusal to recognize Humanism as a belief system,
while recognizing a list of other belief systems as valid, led to the
denial of a number of opportunities to which members of other belief
systems had access. The prisoner was not permitted to form a study group
in which he could meet with fellow prisoners who shared his belief
system, nor was he permitted to annually observe Darwin Day.
Under the settlement reached with the federal prison
system, prisoners who identify as Humanist will be able to do so
officially for assignment and records purposes. They will have the same
opportunities as those who identify with other recognized religious
belief systems, such as the ability to meet in groups with fellow
members and to observe holidays, such as Darwin Day. The Manual on
Inmate Beliefs and Practices will reflect these changes and include
language on Humanism. The case is American Humanist Association, et al. v. United States of America, et. al.
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