Court rules former Louisiana inmate cannot sue prison officials in religious dispute over long hair

A recent Supreme Court decision has implications for local prison policies. The court ruled that a former Louisiana inmate cannot sue prison officials over a dispute regarding his long hair, which he claimed was a matter of religious freedom. The decision was made in the case of Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections. The justices voted 6-3 in favor of the prison officials, stating that a federal law protecting prisoners' religious rights does not allow for the inmate's lawsuit seeking damages. Further details on the case and the court's decision are available from SCOTUSblog, including the majority opinion written by Justice Neil Gorsuch.