Supreme Court rules Rastafari man can't sue Louisiana prison officials who cut his dreadlocks

The U.S. Supreme Court has barred a former Louisiana inmate from suing prison officials who cut off his dreadlocks, ruling that a federal law designed to protect inmates' religious rights does not permit lawsuits for monetary damages, even when those rights are violated.

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The high court agreed with lower courts that without exception had ruled that the law, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, can't be used to hold those who violate inmates' rights financially responsible.

The justices acknowledged the mistreatment of former inmate Damon Landor during his five-month prison term in 2020. However, they upheld lower court decisions that the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act cannot be used to hold individuals financially responsible for violating inmates' rights. The court declined to apply a rationale from a 2020 decision that allowed Muslim men to sue over their inclusion on an FBI no-fly list under a related statute.

During his incarceration, Landor was reportedly respected for his Rastafari beliefs at his initial facilities. However, upon transfer to the Raymond Laborde Correctional Center, a prison guard allegedly discarded his copy of a court ruling supporting religious prisoners' dreadlocks. Subsequently, the warden ordered guards to cut his hair, with two restraining him while a third shaved his head.

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No one defended what happened to Landor during his five-month prison term in 2020.

Although Landor sued after his release, his case was dismissed by lower courts. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals expressed regret over Landor's treatment but stated the law offered no recourse for damages. Louisiana has since stated that its prison grooming policy has been amended to prevent similar occurrences.

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the state has amended its prison grooming policy to ensure that nothing like petitioner's alleged experience can occur.