US Muslim group sues prison for denying Ramadan accommodations to inmate

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it sued the Virginia Department of Corrections and officials at a correctional facility for their refusal to provide Ramadan accommodations to a Muslim inmate.

The Green Rock Correctional Center in Chatham has denied accommodations to Alexander Crichlow during the month-long religious observance, CAIR said Monday.

Crichlow, a Muslim who converted to Islam in January, fasts from before dawn until sunset during Ramadan.

Since January, he has repeatedly asked prison officials to provide him with the same Ramadan accommodations as dozens of Muslims at Green Rock, including receiving breakfast before dawn, a double serving of dinner at sunset and permission to gather daily for evening prayers with other Muslims.

"But prison officials reportedly refuse to accommodate Critchlow because he converted to Islam after their arbitrary deadline to sign up for Ramadan accommodations, which fell on Nov. 18, 2022—over four months before Ramadan," CAIR said in a statement. "According to them, an exception-free statewide policy refuses Ramadan accommodation to any incarceree who converted to Islam after Nov. 18, 2022."

The group said that "there is nothing difficult about prison officials providing Crichlow exactly what they already provide to dozens of other Muslims."

"Virginia’s inflexible policy barring recent converts to Islam from receiving Ramadan accommodations is ridiculous and unlawful," said CAIR senior litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas.