[ Mumia is still in Prison, ergo no 1st Amendment for him, except his appeals lawyer...
What other parts of the First Amendment did he lose? Can he be forced to convert to Episcopalianism? ]
Maybe this explains all the muslim conversions in prisons....
I think we have reversed the emphasis on prisoner rights. It is my understanding that inmates retain their first amendment rights except those which prison officials may restrict for legitimate prison concerns.
Example: inmates right to peacefully assemble could be restricted because larger groups are difficult to control and gangs could be segregated. Also, inmates can be classified and housed with those who have similar classification.
However, inmates have been given a wide latitude on religious rights.
The burden of proof used to be on the inmates with courts rejecting cases out of hand in favor of prison officials responsibility to run the prison. In the last 20 years or so, the prison officials have had to establish the need for restrictions challenged in court by inmates.
Some examples.