First amendment religious rights - sustany/dvg GitHub Wiki

Holt v. Hobbs

There is much more to the First Amendment than the Free Speech Clause. In Holt v. Hobbs*,* the Court invoked the First Amendment�s religious protections in ruling on whether prison officials violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (�RLUIPA�) by prohibiting a Muslim inmate named Gregory Holt from growing a half-inch beard when other inmates received medical exemptions allowing them to grow a quarter-inch beard. [Read our Preview here*.]* The RLUIPA extends the Court�s strict scrutiny standard to religious practices whenever a government actor attempts to impose a �substantial burden� on a religious practice regardless of whether such practices are compelled by a religious belief. Holt�s Muslim faith required him to grow a beard; but, the prison denied his request to grow a half-inch beard, citing security concerns. Lower courts sided with the prison; but a unanimous Supreme Court reversed them and remanded the case for further proceedings consistent with its holding that the prison�s grooming policy violated RLUIPA because it prevents Holt from growing a one-half inch beard as required by his religious beliefs.