Court Opinion

ID: 9492064
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 14:31:15.086864+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:55:05.376895
License: Public Domain

MOORE, Circuit Judge,
dissenting in part.
Neutral prison regulations that are reasonably related to legitimate penological interests are permissible even if they infringe on an inmate’s religious practices. See O’Lone v. Shabazz, 482 U.S. 342, 107 S.Ct. 2400, 96 L.Ed.2d 282 (1987) (applying to religion claims the standards articulated in Turner v. Safley, 482 U.S. 78, 107 S.Ct. 2254, 96 L.Ed.2d 64 (1987)). This standard allows prison officials wide latitude in evaluating their institutional needs, but it does not permit courts to abdicate their responsibility to protect religious freedom. While the majority acknowledges that the Turner standard is controlling, it then announces that we need not follow the Supreme Court’s instructions and consistent example in applying that standard, accepts without question any justification for a regulation that prison officials can articulate, rejects claims on the grounds that *408Sarika’s1 desired activities are not “required” by some centralized religious authority, and ignores evidence that some of NCCI’s regulations are discriminatory as applied.
I concur in the results reached by the majority with respect to the retaliation claim, the “rule of five,” and use of Sari-ka’s new name. I believe, however, that Sarika has proffered evidence sufficient to raise a genuine issue of material fact as to the reasonableness of the refusal to provide a vegan diet, the confiscation of his religious objects, and the ban on inmate-led groups.
The standard articulated in Turner is that “when a prison regulation impinges on inmates’ constitutional rights, the regulation is valid if it is reasonably related to legitimate penological interests.” Turner, 482 U.S. at 89, 107 S.Ct. 2254. As the majority opinion indicates, the Supreme Court has identified four factors relevant to analyzing the reasonableness of such regulations. In cases following Turner, the Court’s determination of reasonableness has involved careful evaluation of these factors in light of facts developed at trial. See, e.g., Thornburgh v. Abbott, 490 U.S. 401, 414-19, 109 S.Ct. 1874, 104 L.Ed.2d 459 (1989); O’Lone, 482 U.S. at 350-52, 107 S.Ct. 2400. Surprisingly, the majority announces that we need not pay much attention to these factors at all.2 It is certainly true that one or more factors may be insignificant in a particular case and that other concerns may be present that do not fit neatly within the Turner factors. For example, as the majority points out, the “ready alternatives” factor would not be helpful in a case where the plaintiff has failed to propose any method for accommodating his or her beliefs. It is also true that we would not reverse a district court’s judgment solely because the court’s opinion did not refer explicitly to each factor. The fact remains, however, that the Supreme Court has identified these four factors as the relevant ones for evaluating the reasonableness of prison regulations.
One aspect of Turner that the majority seems to dislike is that the inquiry it demands is often, of necessity, a fact-intensive one. While our review of prison rules is deferential, it is not a “toothless” review that merely requires the government to articulate some rationale for a rule. See Abbott, 490 U.S. at 414, 109 S.Ct. 1874. Turner requires us to consider and weigh the government’s interests, the degree of infringement on religious practice, and the cost and feasibility of accommodation. In some cases, this inquiry will require a trial. The leading Supreme Court cases on this issue, such as Turner and O’Lone, were post-trial appeals, and the Court’s analysis *409drew heavily from the factual evidence developed at trial. See O’Lone, 482 U.S. at 350-53, 107 S.Ct. 2400; Turner, 482 U.S. at 91-93, 97-99, 107 S.Ct. 2254.
Finally, the majority’s discussion of the “ready alternatives” factor indicates that it is Sarika’s obligation to point to a specific method for accommodating his complaint. I agree that it makes sense to expect the plaintiff to propose an accommodation. Once the plaintiff has done so, however, “it is the defendant’s burden to establish affirmatively that accommodation of sincerely held religious beliefs is administratively impracticable.” Kent v. Johnson, 821 F.2d 1220, 1225 (6th Cir.1987). The court will, of course, give due deference to prison officials’ views on security and other matters within their expertise.
Diet
The majority rejects Sarika’s request for a vegan diet on the grounds that his Buddhist beliefs do not require him to abstain from eating animal products. Courts are ill-equipped to act as arbiters of the tenets of religious faith. It is not our role to determine whether a particular practice is a “required” aspect of a religion. See Hernandez v. Commissioner, 490 U.S. 680, 699, 109 S.Ct. 2136, 104 L.Ed.2d 766 (1989) (“It is not within the judicial ken to question the centrality of particular beliefs or practices to a faith, or the validity of particular litigants’ interpretations of those creeds.”). In addition, the First Amendment does not provide greater protection for centralized religions with established sets of mandatory doctrines than it provides for less established or individual-based religions. See Wilson v. National Labor Relations Bd., 920 F.2d 1282, 1285-87 (6th Cir.1990) (holding that statute violated Establishment Clause because it accommodated the “established and traditional tenets” of “bona fide” religions but not the sincerely held religious beliefs of •individuals unassociated with established sects), cert. denied, 505 U.S. 1218, 112 S.Ct. 3025, 120 L.Edüd 896 (1992). If a prison regulation impinges on a sincerely held religious belief, it is subject to the Turner standard regardless of whether the reference books or outside authorities consulted by NCCI agree that the practice in question is “required.” See Kent, 821 F.2d at 1224-25 (holding that the threshold inquiry is whether the plaintiff has a sincerely held religious belief).
Obviously, a prisoner cannot succeed in challenging a prison regulation merely by asserting that it violates a religious belief. Whether the belief is religious and is sincerely held is a factual question that can be resolved in court. The Turner analysis can then take into account the degree of infringement on religious practice as compared to the burden that accommodating the practice would place on the prison. In this analysis, it is not necessary for courts to classify religious tenets as “required” or “not required.” Indeed, a prison regulation can be valid under Turner even if it does prevent a prisoner from engaging in a required religious practice. See O’Lone, 482 U.S. 342, 107 S.Ct. 2400, 96 L.Ed.2d 282 (holding that prison could schedule work details so that Muslim inmates would miss Friday afternoon services that the Court described as “commanded by the Koran”); Pollock v. Marshall, 845 F.2d 656, 659-60 (6th Cir.) (holding that prison could forcibly cut inmate’s hair, contrary to his religious beliefs), cert. denied, 488 U.S. 897, 109 S.Ct. 239, 102 L.Ed.2d 228 (1988). Similarly, the fact that a vegan diet is not “required” by Sarika’s Buddhist faith does not end the inquiry into whether the prison’s refusal to accommodate his practices is reasonable. See Whitney v. Brown, 882 F.2d 1068, 1070, 1073 (6th Cir.1989) (requiring prison to permit Jewish inmates from different prison complexes to gather for Passover Seder because “the whole point of a Passover Seder is a joint celebration” and a small one, though permissible under their faith, would be “ ‘a very miserable seder’ ”).
NCCI has a legitimate interest in keeping down the costs of providing special meals to particular prisoners, and the pris*410on has accommodated Sarika to the extent of providing vegetarian meals. Thus, the first two Turner factors weigh in favor of the defendants. Evaluation of the third and fourth Turner factors would require considering, for example, to what extent Sarika’s nutritional needs could be met out of the prison’s current food supply. In this case, however, the inquiry may be greatly simplified by the evidence of discrimination. NCCI has one Jewish inmate who keeps kosher, and it employs an outside caterer to provide meals for that inmate. J.A. at 478-79 (Hawley Dep.). The refusal to do the same for Sarika is important both because discrimination among religions is itself unconstitutional and because it is evidence that prison officials have found accommodating special diets to be administratively practicable.
The defendants’ sole defense to Sarika’s claim that he is entitled to a vegan diet is that veganism is not a “requirement of his faith group.” Appellees Br. at 36. This defense is inadequate as a matter of law, and a prison official has admitted that NCCI provides special religious meals to an inmate of another faith. Sarika is entitled to demonstrate that accommodation of his own sincerely held beliefs would also not be an unreasonable burden on prison resources.
Religious Articles
Sarika would like to use the following objects in his religious practices: a small statue of the Buddha, an altar cloth, a pillow, a wooden fish, and a picture of the Buddha. He would also like to burn incense on occasion. The prison has forbidden him from keeping his worship items in his cell and has also refused to store them in the prison chaplain’s office. Prison officials assert that the items present potential security risks and that storing the items could lead to accusations of favoritism from other inmates.
Here, too, evidence of discrimination creates a factual question about the explanations for denying Sarika these items. NCCI has about ten inmates who practice Native American religions and who engage in weekly ceremonies that involve the burning of sweet grass or incense. J.A. at 479-80, 498 (Hawley Dep., Karlen Dep.). The grass or incense is provided by the institution, and the inmates are allowed to keep cigarette lighters, which they use to light it. J.A. at 480 (Hawley Dep.). Each inmate is also allowed to keep a headband, a medicine bag, tobacco, and a pipe. J.A. at 480 (Hawley Dep.).
Even with all possible deference to the expertise of prison officials, it is extremely difficult to see how an altar cloth or a small pillow poses a security threat but a lighter or a headband does not. The majority opinion simply relies on the defendants’ assertion that Sarika’s articles raise security concerns without taking into account the treatment of other prisoners or the particular facts of Sarika’s situation. I could well understand deferring to the judgment of prison officials who opposed allowing inmates to have lighters among their personal possessions; some of the other items kept by NCCI inmates could also reasonably be prohibited. Cf. Hall v. Bellmon, 935 F.2d 1106, 1113 (10th Cir.1991) (holding that prison could reasonably prohibit inmate from keeping a bear-tooth necklace and a medicine bag with a thong for wearing around the neck). However, NCCI, a minimum security facility, permits inmates to possess these items. It is far from obvious that Sarika’s objects are more dangerous, and he has suggested that he could also be accommodated by keeping the items in the chaplain’s office. A reasonable fact-finder could find that the prison’s refusal to make any accommodation is unreasonable, and summary judgment was therefore inappropriate.
Rule of Five
I agree with the majority’s conclusion that the “rule of five” does not itself violate Sarika’s right to exercise his religion. The prison clearly needs to have some system for allocating space and time in the religious services area. Declining to organize *411services for two or three Buddhists does not hamper Sarika’s ability to practice his faith any more than the lack of formal services hampered him when he was the only Buddhist. I note, however, that some of Sarika’s allegations suggest NCCI may have wrongly cut off alternative means of worship. For example, prison officials may have restricted Sarika and other Buddhists’ chapel access even during open hours when no particular group had the chapel reserved. In addition, officials may have restricted the ability of the Buddhists to gather informally, as .other inmates might gather to play a game of cards. These allegations, however, are appropriately dealt with pursuant to Sarika’s retaliation claim or his claim about the ban on inmate-led groups. To the extent that he complains about the rule of five as a method for allocating resources in the religious services area, I concur in the result reached by the majority.
Inmate-Led Groups
Before the arrival of a fifth Buddhist and identification of a volunteer outside leader, Sarika and his fellow Buddhists sought to organize their own worship and study sessions. It appears that although they now have formal services, they would like to be able to meet more frequently and under their own leadership. The defendants say that such meetings would violate their rule against inmate-led group activities.
The majority accepts the defendants’ argument that the ban on inmate-led groups is necessary “to avoid the risks that would arise from unsupervised inmate activity and the creation of an alternate, inmate-led power structure in the prison.” Ante at 406. I must first point out that Sarika has not asked for the right to engage in unsupervised activity. He compares his desired activities to an Arabic class led by Muslim inmates but supervised by Hawley, who does not speak Arabic. J.A. at 480-81 (Hawley Dep.). Like the Muslim inmates in the class, Sarika and the other Buddhists seek the opportunity to help each other with their religious development in the absence of an outside leader but under the supervision of prison staff.
There is some merit to the majority’s argument that NCCI could reasonably distinguish between an academic setting and a religious one, as the latter may be more conducive to establishing some inmates in positions of authority over others. Whether that distinction is operative in this case, however, is a close issue and one that I believe should be determined by a fact-finder. Although the Arabic class is in some sense an academic setting, it is clearly linked to religion — the participants are Muslim, apparently interested in learning Arabic for religious purposes, and the classes take place in the religious services center. Any security risk inherent in this arrangement is enhanced by the fact that the prison official supervising the activity does not understand the language being spoken. In addition, Muslim inmates are permitted to conduct their own weekly prayer service if their outside leader is absent. J.A. at 480 (Hawley Dep.). This evidence concerning NCCI’s treatment of another religious group is sufficient to raise a question of fact regarding whether its restrictions on Buddhist worship and study are unreasonable.
Conclusion
I would reverse the grant of summary judgment on Sarika’s claims regarding diet, religious articles, and inmate-led groups and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. Therefore, I respectfully dissent in part from the majority opinion.

. Although the complaint styles the plaintiff "Douglas Spies aka Gunaratna Sarika,” his allegations about the defendants’ failure to use his new name and his own usage in his brief and deposition indicate that he prefers to be known as Sarika.

. To the limited extent that the three cases cited by the majority support this proposition in theory, they contradict it in application. The Ninth Circuit case merely noted the possible existence of a factual dispute but held that summary judgment was nonetheless appropriate because the Turner test was satisfied even if one assumed the dispute would be resolved favorably to the plaintiffs. See Casey v. Lewis, 4 F.3d 1516, 1522 (9th Cir.1993). This is nothing more than a routine application of the standard for summary judgment, not a repudiation of the Turner factors. (In fact, the court devoted a subsection of its opinion to each factor. See id. at 1520-23.) The Seventh Circuit's unpublished order stated that it would "focus only on the second factor as dispositive in this case” but actually discussed at least three of the four factors. See Nobles v. Hoffman, No. 92-2692, 1 F.3d 1244 (Table), 1993 WL 299333, *2 (7th Cir.1993). Finally, although the Fifth Circuit’s decision contains language very similar to the majority's, that court also went on to discuss each factor individually before making its final assessment of the reasonableness of the regulation. See Scott v. Mississippi Dep’t of Corrections, 961 F.2d 77, 81 (5th Cir.1992). Clearly these three cases decided by courts outside this circuit do not and could not provide a legitimate basis for weakening Supreme Court precedent.