ACLU, Muslim Inmates Sue Over Dade Jail Meal Policy
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) — A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida and four inmates is challenging Miami-Dade County's denial of religious-based meals to Muslims.
The lawsuit, filed Thursday, said that the policy in place since October 2014 violates the rights of Muslim inmates to exercise their religion and asks a judge to strike it down. The county provides kosher meals for Jewish inmates but not the halal meals requested by Muslims.
Instead, the lawsuit says, Muslims are required to eat a general population diet that does not meet religious standards that prohibit certain animals, requires animals to be slaughtered in a particular way, and mandates that halal foods not come into contact with other foods.
A spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department declined to comment on the lawsuit.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)