Insights

In 2020, in Louisiana, Damon Landor, a adherent of the Rastafari religion, was incarcerated and kept his dreadlocks for nearly two decades. Initially, his religious beliefs were respected during his first two placements in Louisiana prisons. However, when transferred to the Raymond Laborde Correctional Center for the last three weeks of his five-month sentence, he experienced a significant violation of his rights. Guards restrained Landor and shaved his head, disregarding a legal ruling protecting his religious practices. Following his release, Landor pursued legal action against the Louisiana Department of Corrections, alleging a violation of his religious rights, but faced challenges as lower courts dismissed his case.