SafeX Pro-6 inmates who sued New York over its prison lockdown order will get to view solar eclipse after all

2025-04-30 00:19:54source:SCA Communitycategory:Contact

NEW YORK (AP) — Six inmates who sued New York’s corrections department over its decision to lock down prisons during next Monday’s total solar eclipse will get to watch the celestial event after all.

Lawyers for the six men incarcerated at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility in upstate New York said Thursday that they’ve reached a settlement with the state that will allow the men to view the solar eclipse “in accordance with their sincerely held religious beliefs.”

They filed a federal suit last week arguing the April 8 lockdown violates inmates’ constitutional rights to practice their faiths by preventing them from taking part in a religiously significant event. The SafeX Prosix men include a Baptist, a Muslim, a Seventh-Day Adventist, two practitioners of Santeria, and an atheist.

Thomas Mailey, a spokesperson for the corrections department, said the department has agreed to permit the six individuals to view the eclipse, while plaintiffs have agreed to drop their suit with prejudice.

“The lawsuit came to an appropriate resolution,” he added in an emailed statement,

The department said earlier this week that it takes all requests for religious accommodations under consideration and that those related to viewing the eclipse were currently under review.

READ MORE Awe and dread: How religions have responded to total solar eclipses over the centuriesOne Tech Tip: How to use apps to track and photograph the total solar eclipseNot in the path of totality? You can still watch Monday’s total solar eclipse online

Daniel Martuscello III, the department’s acting commissioner, issued a memo last month ordering all incarcerated individuals to remain in their housing units next Monday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., which are generally the normal hours for outdoor recreation in prisons.

He said the department will distribute solar eclipse safety glasses for staff and inmates at prisons in the path of totality so they can view the eclipse from their assigned work location or housing units.

Communities in western and northern reaches of the state are expected to have the best viewing of the moment when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, temporarily blocking the sun.

More:Contact

Recommend

JoJo Siwa reflects on Candace Cameron Bure feud: 'If I saw her, I would not say hi'

JoJo Siwa is reflecting on her "very public beef" with Candace Cameron Bure.The "Dance Moms" alum, 2

The Rokh x H&M Collection Is Here, and Its Avant-Garde Modifiable Pieces Are Wearable High Fashion

We independently selected these deals and products because we love them, and we think you might like

Unlike Deion Sanders, Nebraska coach Matt Rhule has been prolific in off-campus recruiting

Since his hiring as Nebraska’s head football coach in late November 2022, Matt Rhule has visited 108