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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 19987
[Civil]
Date Posted:
9/4/2008
10:00:34 am EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 5,273
RSS: 19,825
Comments: 11
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W.Va. Inmate Says He's Denied Religious Rights
Author: The Associated Press Source: Charleston Gazette
Title: W.VA. INMATE SAYS HE'S DENIED RELIGIOUS RIGHTS
The state Supreme Court is considering whether to hear a case involving an inmate who says he's being denied the right to freely practice his Native American religion.
Bobby Eugene Roddy wants the court to order the Division of Corrections to provide him with a sweat lodge to use one day a week for a ceremony.
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Community Thoughts: There are 11 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Native American Or Just | Sep 7th. at 9:57:26 pm EDT
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Tree Higgins (Greenbrier Valley, West Virginia) - Email Me
following a Native American path or posing? This man is a convicted child molester. I am pretty sure he didn't learn that on the Red Road. If he is Native American then he is in a state prison system by choice. Because of the unique status of Native Americans with tribal affiliations, he could have opted to go to a federal prison to serve his time where he may have fared better (or, maybe not) . (This option exists because Native Americans are considered wards of the federal government. It was a very old way of controlling and putting the screws to Native Americans!)
One's spirituality is inside and not worn with moccasins and beaded hair. He sounds like a poser to me who just wants to mess with the system while he is doing time. Maybe he thinks he breaks up his boredom but frivolous lawsuits like his take up funds that should be used elsewhere. Additionally, whether it is the Red Path or any Pagan path, stupid actions like this trivilize Paganism to the general populace. If his court case goes against this idiot, it sets precedents for real Native Americans to get more serious requests approved in the penal system.
This guy is an insult to Native Americans doing time for standing up for their people, (like Peltier) .
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| Wa State | Sep 6th. at 3:45:37 am EDT
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Greg Garcia-Allen (Shelton, Washington) - Email Me
They have Sweat Lodges for prisoners here in WA state. I work in that system. There never been any problems that I know about.
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| I Would Too | Sep 5th. at 9:50:34 am EDT
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Cindy Marcelle (Belvidere, Vermont) - Email Me
Who wouldn't want a sweat lodge in prison? I would too - it would really help pass the time while helping one to obtain an altered level of consciousness.
But really, I agree with some of the other comments. You give up your "rights" when you enter jail however, I do think there needs to be better access to Pagan religions in the slammer - that's why we really, really, really need more Pagan Ministers participating in insitiutional chaplancy programs.
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| There Is Another Answer Available, I Believe.... | Sep 4th. at 7:46:59 pm EDT
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Aidan Odinson (Collingdale, Pennsylvania) - Email Me - Web
A sweat lodge cannot be compared to a sauna any more than the Roman Catholic Mass could be compared to a cocktail party.
There are those in prison who gain a great deal from being allowed to follow their spiritual path, and often it makes them better people as a result. And that's part of what the corrections business is supposed to be about.
There are also, admittedly, those who use religious programs as a type of scam: a way to get extra privileges, an extra reference for the parole board, etc., and no intention to follow-through afterward. Of course, most of the scammers can find all they need in established groups.
If someone wants to follow an alternative path, here's my idea of how to bring it off. Call on the advice of a genuine expert, and then insist that if someone claims to want to "walk the walk," then they will get to walk the entire walk.
I recall an episode of "Different Strokes" in which Milton Berle played a Rabbi. His advice to someone who claimed to want to convert to Judaism was "If you're going to have a Bar Mitzvah, you have to do Yom Kippur, too!"
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| Sad To Say, But ... | Sep 4th. at 4:40:37 pm EDT
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Jenna (Cary, North Carolina) - Email Me
When you break the law you give up certain rights. You don't get to have heterosexual relations (except in very rare cases) , Wiccans don't get to have their athames in prison (knives aren't exactly prison approved decor) , and this guy shouldn't get a sauna. Look, I am part Iroquois so I know how special the traditions of the Native peoples are, but if they are so important to you, take care not to do anything illegal. I adore my kids so I make certain that I obey the law (even laws that I don't agree with) so that I'm not separated from them. If I make that choice to disobey, I cannot force the prison to accomodate holding my kids' birthday parties in the cell and such. I'm all for prisoner rights. Certainly, they should be safe and protected from harm and not be forced into violating their faiths (no pork being forced upon Jews and Muslims, for example) , but that should be all. It's prison; not a spa.
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| Ummm, Wha? | Sep 4th. at 12:55:59 pm EDT
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The Bald Soprano (Warwick, Rhode Island) - Email Me
Am I the only person who sees this as just a ploy from someone who wants attention and has the time to manipulate the system? Does it really matter whether or not he's Native American? Do you have to be European to claim that you're Christian or Middle Eastern to claim that you're Muslim? No. So I don' t think this person's ancestry should be a consideration in this.
That said, I also believe that if your religion involves activities that are prohibited in prison then maybe you should have thought of that before being incarcerated. Sorry, no pity here. He'll have to wait till he gets out--whenever that is.
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| Religious Or Cultural? | Sep 4th. at 12:45:53 pm EDT
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Phyllis C (Elmira, New York) - Email Me
The hair and moccasins... are they a religious matter of faith, or are they cultural identity items? Sorry, but in prison you lose your right to your identity. No spiked pink hair and nipple rings, no tees or other clothes to set you apart, no moccasins.
I agree that the correctional system needs to accomodate faiths to the best of their ability, within reason. But for anything that is not a "requirement" of a faith, the correctional system has the responsibility to disallow anything that may be a hazard or promote discordance in the system.
Where does the sweat lodge and peace pipe fit into this? I wouldn't know, but I support the prison in maintaining the safety of the system. If they have to deny these "rights" (?) , so be it.
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| Okay | Sep 4th. at 12:19:35 pm EDT
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Dynnys Derwydd (Lubbock, Texas) - Email Me
For a couple of years I was a Corrections Officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, or TDCJ, and the reason why many, if not most, prisons disallow the use of tobacco isn't to protect the health of the other inmates. The rule is in place because tobacco was often used as a currency inside prisons; for drugs, sexual favors, bribes, etc.. And if they allow a prisoner to use tobacco, for any purpose, then they may have to allow it for the general prison population.
I must say that I have no problem with a sweat lodge, especially if there is more than one Native American in custody. Still, the tobacco should still be disallowed.
honi soit qui mal y pense,
Dynnys Derwydd
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| Hmmm... | Sep 4th. at 11:55:18 am EDT
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Mysteries Child (Garfield, Arkansas) - Email Me
I can see some of this stuff. Peace pipe ceremonies, as long as it's not a controlled substance in the pipe and they are actually legitimate ceremonies and not just copping a nic fix with a real cool pipe, seem reasonable.
It could probably even be worked around the reasonable right of other prisoners to a smoke-free environment.
A sweat lodge seems like a bit much for a prison inmate to ask for, simply on the grounds of wondering what it would take to maintain required security while he's sweating.
I'm all for religious liberty, but prison is prison. It's a penal institution for people who can't be trusted with the same degree of liberty as the rest of us, not a boarding school with bars.
Long hair and moccasins?? OK, it's starting to sound like he's asking for the right to exhibit the trappings of Native American religion rather than the right to practice it.
Regardless of his race and/or heritage, if he's sincere, I get the feeling that what he should be asking for is the right to do more research.
Say, and pardon me for the mixing of traditions, a year and a day's worth. At least.
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| Sounds Like A Wannabe To Me... | Sep 4th. at 10:55:12 am EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
Is he a native American or is he not?
If he is, then he might be accommodated -within reason, but if not- then he will have to make do with what he has.
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| Depends........ | Sep 4th. at 10:51:14 am EDT
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Thorin (Newaygo, Michigan) - Email Me
It depends......is they guy a Nat. American, or just someone who wants to be one, and look cool for his prison buddies. JMO
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