Court Opinion

ID: 9460282
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 21:46:18.442778+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:36:33.302125
License: Public Domain

LAY, Circuit Judge
(dissenting).
I respectfully dissent. Bishop v. Colaw, 450 F.2d 1069 (8th Cir. 1971), rec*707ognizes that an indwelling characteristic of an individual’s personal liberty is the freedom of choice to develop one’s own personality and life style, which includes the right to grow and wear one’s hair in any way he or she chooses. The state has no real legitimate interest in forcing persons to conform in appearance. As with other areas of constitutional concern, in Bishop we determined that the state must demonstrate a compelling need before individual liberties can be restricted. The State of Iowa has shown none here. The various reasons suggested by the state are illusive when examined. The “ease of identification” argument possesses little logic if prison haircuts tend to be uniform. The “health and cleanliness” theory makes little sense if the prison is otherwise maintained in a sanitary way. The “safety and hidden contraband” justification loses substance when it is remembered that the prison authorities already conduct strip searches of the prisoner’s clothing and body crevices which provide less obvious areas for concealment. The majority opinion sustains the regulation restricting prison hair styles on the necessity of requiring prison discipline. It is difficult to accept this premise. Whether one is required to have his hair conform to a certain style or not will have insignificant effect upon the already highly regimented and restricted life within the parameters of heavily guarded prison walls.
If these men, who have obviously found it difficult to live within society’s mores, are ever to enjoy life within the law they must learn self control and discipline in an atmosphere where self respect is maintained and the human personality allowed to flourish. This cannot be achieved while the state pursues a policy which requires conformity beyond need.1
I would reverse.

. Stradley v. Andersen, 478 F.2d 188 (8th Cir. 1973), upheld a police department regulation governing hair styles of its officers on the basis that the hierarchy of a police department determined that an officer’s neat appearance was essential to maintain public respect. I fail to understand the anomaly suggested if prisoners may appear as they choose and police officers are required to do otherwise. Furthermore, since writing Stradley v. Andersen, I have had substantial doubts as to whether the need shown in Stradley justifies the restriction on the personal liberty of a police officer. On reflection there was no evidence developed in 'Stradley which demonstrated that a police officer could not carry out his duties just as efficiently with his own hair style as compared to the one insisted upon by his superiors. Cf. Miller v. Ackerman, 488 F.2d 920 (8th Cir. Dec. 19, 1973). A similar regulation of the Suffolk County, New York, police department was struck down by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals after Stradley was decided. Dwen v. Barry, 483 F.2d 1126 (2d Cir. 1973).