The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today issued a letter to the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services and dozens of directors, wardens and assistant wardens at correctional facilities across the state, seeking religious accommodations for incarcerated Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan.
READ Letter to Secretary Carolyn Scruggs.
“We urge Maryland correctional facilities to take the necessary steps to ensure that incarcerated Muslims can practice their faith freely and fully including during the holy month of Ramadan,” said CAIR’s Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry. “Each year, our offices process complaints of basic religious accommodations that have been denied in these institutions. These accommodations aren’t just a legal obligation, but also a matter of human dignity and respect.”
Ramadan, expected to begin on the evening of February 28 and conclude on the evening of March 29, is a sacred time of fasting, prayer, and spiritual reflection for Muslims worldwide. Observant Muslims fast from dawn to sunset and engage in increased acts of worship throughout the month.
In its letter, CAIR requested that correctional institutions take necessary steps to ensure that incarcerated Muslims can observe their faith without undue hardship, in accordance with federal and state laws protecting religious freedom.
These accommodations include:
- Pre-Dawn (Suhoor) and Post-Sunset (Iftar) Meal Service: Providing meals at appropriate times, ensuring they are nutritionally adequate and meet halal dietary requirements, including dates (khujoor) to break the fast.
- Access to Congregational and Individual Worship: Permitting group prayer, particularly nightly Taraweeh prayers, and ensuring access to religious texts and materials such as Qur’ans, prayer rugs, hijabs, and prayer caps.
- Flexibility in Work Assignments and Daily Schedules: Adjusting work schedules for fasting inmates, particularly those in physically demanding roles, and allowing modified rest periods.
- Facilitation of Eid al-Fitr Observances: Allowing communal prayer and appropriate religious observances at the conclusion of Ramadan.
Federal and state laws, including the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), safeguard the religious rights of incarcerated individuals. Ensuring these accommodations align with these legal protections and fosters an environment of inclusivity within correctional facilities.
Last year, CAIR welcomed the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections’ new policy authorizing incarcerated Muslims at the institution to hold consolidated congregational Friday (Jum’ah) prayer services. The development came following discussions and negotiations by the Maryland Muslim Prisoner Project (MMPP), which was launched in 2021 by CAIR Maryland, Muslim chaplains serving prison populations, Prince George’s County Muslim Council (PGCMC) and ICNA Council for Social Justice.
SEE: CAIR Welcomes Md. County’s New Policy Permitting Consolidated Friday Prayers for Muslim Incarcerees
CAIR has offered to collaborate with correctional administrators to discuss these requests further and provide free virtual or in-person training for staff on religious accommodations.
The civil rights group also offers an educational toolkit, called “A Correctional Institution’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices,” to help correctional officers and administrators gain a better understanding of Islam and Muslims.
SEE: A Correctional Institution’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, [email protected], 410-971-6062; CAIR Maryland Outreach Coordinator Kim Syuardi, [email protected], 202-850-9293