fbpx

Court rejects Jewish inmate’s claim on beard

A prison can require an Orthodox Jewish prison inmate to keep his beard short, a federal judge ruled.
[additional-authors]
September 1, 2010

A prison can require an Orthodox Jewish prison inmate to keep his beard short, a federal judge ruled.

U.S. District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe in Concord, N.H., ruled Aug. 27 that prison inmates do not have a First Amendment right to grow a beard, rejecting Orthodox Jewish inmate Albert Kuperman’s claim.

In his ruling the judge said that the maximum length of one-quarter inch allowed by prison officials in Concord to easily identify prisoners and that allowing a longer length would require more intimate searches.

Kuperman, 25, is serving a seven-year sentence for child molesting and is eligible for parole in January, the Associated Press reported. He challenged the prison in court last year after he was removed from a kosher diet after being caught eating non-kosher food.

Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.

Editor's Picks

Latest Articles

Why Are Presidential Statements About Jews So Weak?

“I condemn the antisemitic protests,” President Biden said on April 22. For some reason, he felt compelled to add: “I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.”

More news and opinions than at a
Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.