(MLive) Four women convicted of murder say in a federal lawsuit that Michigan prison officials violated their rights when they forced them to remove religious headwear for mug shots.
The lawsuit is seeking class-action status on behalf of all prisoners, requesting a judge strike down the Michigan Department of Corrections policy that requires religious headwear to be removed for identification photos that are publicly available on the state’s offender tracking website.
The question of whether government officials in prisons, police booking rooms or ID issuance offices can legally require the removal of religious headwear, including headscarves or turbans, has spurred lawsuits across the nation, including others pending in Detroit and Flint.
