A group of prisoners sued the New York State Department of Correction, demanding their right to watch a solar eclipse in the United States.
This astronomical phenomenon will capture Americans’ attention on April 8, when the moon obscures the sun and darkens the sky for several minutes in part of the country.
In light of this event, the authorities ordered the complete, orderly closure of all prisons to prevent those detained from observing the eclipse for security reasons.
In this way, a group of prisoners of different religions filed a lawsuit on the grounds that this measure violated their religious freedom.
The six inmates of Woodbourne Prison, consisting of a Baptist, a Muslim, an Adventist, two Santeria practitioners and an atheist, asserted their right to participate in this religious event.
“For many, a solar eclipse is a rare natural phenomenon with great religious significance,” the inmates’ court document states, the lawsuit states.
The total solar eclipse will be recorded in North America on April 8th. Photo: NASA
In addition, they demanded that the authorities give them special glasses to observe the solar eclipse, as was the case with a partial solar eclipse in 2017.
The Controversy Over Restrictions
The Department of Corrections shared a memo saying that due to darkness during the eclipse, all prisons under its supervision would ban all visitors.
Authorities also stipulated that prisoners must be locked up between two and five o’clock in the afternoon. While prisons that are not in the twilight zone can only receive visitors until 2 p.m.
This is all because the solar eclipse will begin at approximately 3:16 a.m. (New York time), when the Sun is 90% covered by the Moon.
In fact, New York will be one of the 13 states that will be able to view the eclipse in its entirety and will have darkness for one to three and a half minutes.
Sharon Steinerman, an associate at the Alston & Bird law firm representing the inmates, told the New York Post that she hopes this lawsuit could also benefit all prisons in the country.
“People of different faiths come together to observe the solar eclipse, an incredible phenomenon that has religious meaning for many.” “We are simply asking that correctional officers grant our clients their constitutional right to practice their faith,” he said.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Corrections said the measure taken was aimed at ensuring the safety of inmates and staff in correctional facilities.
This solar eclipse will be a completely unique astronomical event as it will not be visible again in the country until 2044.
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