The American Civil Liberties Union asked Florida Governor Charlie Crist on Friday to stop jail officials from again cutting the kesh (religiously mandated unshorn hair) of a Sikh inmate, and to amend state regulations to accommodate the constitutionally protected right of religious practice.
The Sikh inmate, Jagmohan Singh Ahuja, was sentenced June 24 for violating probation and a restraining order, both misdemeanor offenses, and sentenced to almost two years in the Duval County Jail. Jail officials forcibly cut his hair, beard and mustache in early July.
The ACLU wrote to the governor on Oct. 10: "We request your immediate attention and assistance to stop the continued violation of Jagmohan Singh's religious beliefs, and to intervene and finally put an end to discrimination in Florida's prisons by amending the current state regulations to properly accommodate the sacred religious beliefs and practices of inmates."
Citing security reasons, Duval County Jail has taken the position that it is well within its rights to cut his hair and will continue to do so when his hair grows back.
The ACLU wants Florida to change its inmate policy.
"We believe that if the State of Florida's Department of Corrections regulation of inmates' hair length is changed to accommodate inmates' exercise of religion, Florida counties such as Duval will amend their regulations accordingly," it said in the letter, which was also sent to Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton.
The ACLU is considering legal action against the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, which has authority over the jail. It is actively looking for an attorney to work with it on the case, said Glenn Katon, director of the ACLU's Religious Freedom Project in the state.
Florida has accommodated Sikh inmates before.
Satnam Singh was moved in 2006 by the corrections department to a Vermont prison where he was allowed to keep his kesh while serving his sentence. But there was another inmate in the late 1990's who served out his sentence in a Florida jail with his kesh intact, which Katon said he would look into if the ACLU decides to take legal action.
As political and legal pressures continue, United Sikhs, a New York-based advocacy group, ramped up public pressure by staging a protest in Jacksonville on Oct. 5. The protest was covered my many major print and broadcast news outlets, and the stunning before-and-after pictures of Jagmohan Singh were splashed across the media.
