Inmates at New York State’s Woodbourne Correctional Facility will finally have the opportunity to view Monday’s solar eclipse, as announced by lawyers representing the inmates who filed a lawsuit on Thursday.
Six inmates at a medium-security men’s prison in Woodbourne, upstate New York, took legal action against the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision for not allowing them to witness the eclipse.
The prisoners argued that being denied the chance to see the total solar eclipse was a violation of their religious rights, as they considered it a religious event.
Lawyers involved in the case, Chris McArdle, Sharon Steinerman, and Madeline Byrd from Alston & Byrd, confirmed that the Department of Corrections had agreed to allow the inmates to view the eclipse.
Ruth Fremson/New York Times, via Redux
“In response to our lawsuit alleging religious discrimination, the state of New York has entered into a binding settlement agreement allowing six of our clients to view the solar eclipse in accordance with their sincerely held religious beliefs. We are pleased to do so,” they stated in a written release.
After this agreement, the lawsuit filed last week was dismissed. The lawsuit also requested solar eclipse glasses.
Daniel Martucello III, the acting secretary of the department, issued a memorandum on March 11 instructing all facilities to follow a holiday schedule on the day of the eclipse. As per the complaint, the inmates were confined to their cells.
The Department of Corrections mentioned that they had initiated an inquiry into religious requests to view the eclipse, including those from six Woodbourne inmates, even before the lawsuit was filed.
The department stated that they “continued to evaluate and address the matter while the lawsuit was ongoing” and ultimately agreed to allow these six individuals to witness the eclipse.
The lawsuit referenced instances of darkness in religious scriptures such as during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in Christianity and the eclipse of the sun during significant events in Islam.
On Monday, there will be a visible total solar eclipse in the United States for the first time since August 21, 2017. The next solar eclipse visible in the United States will occur in 2044.
During a total solar eclipse, the sky will darken in the middle of the day.
Despite Woodbourne not being in the path of the total solar eclipse, around 3:25 p.m., the sun will be partially covered by the moon. NASA’s “Solar Eclipse Explorer” website
Source: www.nbcnews.com
