NY Inmates File Lawsuit for Being Denied View of Solar Eclipse
Prisoners in New York are taking legal action against the state corrections department regarding the upcoming total solar eclipse, demanding permission to witness the “rare phenomenon”.
The state corrections department has imposed a lockdown on prisons for the same day as the eclipse on April 8th.
This lockdown will keep incarcerated individuals confined to their housing units from 2pm to 5pm, which are the usual hours for outdoor recreation in prisons, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, argues that the lockdown violates the constitutional rights of inmates to practice their faith by denying them the opportunity to participate in a religiously significant event.
The plaintiffs are six men from varying religious backgrounds who are currently held at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility.
The last time this celestial event was visible in the US was in 2017, and it won’t be observable in the country again until 2044.
“A solar eclipse is a rare, natural phenomenon with great religious significance to many,” states the complaint.
One of the named plaintiffs, who is an atheist, had previously been granted special permission to view the eclipse using state-provided glasses before the announcement of the prison lockdown.
However, four other plaintiffs who followed suit were denied permission by officials who claimed the solar eclipse was not considered a holy day in their respective religions, as per the lawsuit.
A sixth inmate mentioned that he did not receive a response.
The path where the full solar eclipse will be visible. Pic: AP
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Thomas Mailey, a corrections department spokesperson, stated that the agency does not provide comments on ongoing legal matters but confirmed that cases related to viewing the eclipse are currently being reviewed.
The total eclipse is expected to be visible in New York around 3:15pm, lasting only a few minutes as the moon moves between the Earth and the sun, temporarily blocking the sunlight and creating a brief moment of darkness.
According to NASA, the eclipse will begin over the South Pacific, pass Mexico’s Pacific coast, and then enter the US through Texas.
It will continue through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, a small portion of Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, a part of Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
