Lawyers representing the inmates who filed a lawsuit have announced that the inmates at New York state’s Woodbourne Correctional Facility will have the opportunity to witness Monday’s solar eclipse.
Six inmates at the medium-security men’s prison in Woodbourne, upstate New York, filed a lawsuit against the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision for being denied the opportunity to witness the eclipse.
The inmates contended that their religious rights would be violated if they were denied the opportunity to witness the total eclipse, as they perceive it as a sacred event.
Chris McArdle, Sharon Steinerman, and Madeline Byrd from Alston & Bird, the lawyers involved in the case, have stated that the corrections department will grant the inmates the opportunity to view it.
“We are delighted that New York State has reached a binding settlement agreement in response to our lawsuit, which accuses religious discrimination. This agreement will enable our six clients to witness the solar eclipse in alignment with their deeply held religious convictions,” they expressed in a statement.
The lawsuit, which was filed last week, has been withdrawn following the agreement. The suit also requested the provision of eclipse glasses.
According to a lawsuit, the department’s acting commissioner, Daniel Martuscello III, issued a memo to all facilities on March 11. The memo stated that on the day of the eclipse, the facilities would operate on a holiday schedule. This meant that there would be no movement from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and inmates would have to remain in their cells.
The corrections department has initiated a review of the religious requests to witness the eclipse, which includes the six inmates at Woodbourne, even before the lawsuit was filed.
According to a statement by the department, our analysis and review persisted throughout the duration of the lawsuit. The department has now granted permission to the six individuals to witness the eclipse.
Religious texts, including Christianity and Islam, make references to periods of darkness. For instance, in Christianity, darkness is mentioned during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Similarly, in Islam, an eclipse is said to have occurred when Muhammad’s son passed away, which led to a call to prayer.
On Monday, people in the United States will have the opportunity to witness a rare event – a solar eclipse. This will be the first time since August 21, 2017, that the moon will pass between the earth and the sun, causing the sun to be partially obscured. The last solar eclipse visible in the United States was a memorable event, and the next one won’t occur until the year 2044.
When the total eclipse occurs, the sky will darken for those who are in its path.
According to NASA’s “eclipse explorer” website, it seems that Woodbourne will not be in the path of the total eclipse. However, around 3:25 p.m., the moon will cover most of the sun.
Phil Helsel, a reporter for NBC News, brings us the latest updates.
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