Ohio prisons ban pork in reaction to lawsuit by Muslim death row inmate

posted at 10:32 am on October 6, 2011 by Howard Portnoy
[ Political Correctness ]   

When a Muslim inmate at an Ohio prison brought a lawsuit because halal food was not among the dietary options, the state went him one better. Not only did it agree to begin serving meals prepared according to Islamic law. It banned pork from its entire prison system.

The lawsuit was brought by Abdul Awkal, who is on death row for killing his estranged wife and brother-in-law. In documents filed in federal court, Awkal’s attorney claims that the state is infringing on his client’s First Amendment religious freedoms by failing to serve meats butchered in a manner consistent with the Koran, even though kosher meals are currently made available to Jewish prisoners.

The Koran also prohibits Muslims from eating pork, but the word pork never appeared in the lawsuit.

Now Ohio may be facing a second suit, this one brought by the state’s pork producers and processors. Dick Isler, executive director of the Ohio Pork Producers Council, is quoted by the Associated Press as stating:

We really think it’s not in the best interest, frankly, of the whole prison system. It seems like we’re letting a small group make the rules when it really isn’t in the best interest of the rest of prisoners.

Isler goes on to argue that pork is inexpensive and nutritious. Then again, what would he say? In the interests of fairness, it should be noted that Ohio initially removed pork from its prison menus in 2009 based on cost: The system had been maintaining its own pig farm and processing facility as a source of meat for its prisons, which state officials deemed too costly to maintain.

Last year, pork producers lobbied the state legislature, fighting to get pork reinstated on the menu. The system began serving pork rib patties once a week, at a cost of about $27,000 per week.

As to the current dilemma, David Singleton, Awkal’s attorney, points out that if the prison could offer Muslim inmates pre-packaged meals similar to the ones given to Jewish inmates, as the lawsuit demands, it wouldn’t be necessary to ban pork.

A spokeswoman for the prison countered that removing pork ensures that inmates’ religious practices aren’t jeopardized by the meat’s coming into contact with other foods during preparation.

In banning pork from its prisons, Ohio becomes the sixth state after Arizona, California, Florida, Maryland, and Massachusetts to take that action.

Related Articles

• Georgia middle schoolers learn ‘positives’ of Sharia law
• Delta Airlines accused of enforcing Sharia law against Jewish passengers
• Michigan woman faces jail time for planting vegetable garden in front yard
• Michigan inmate sues state over “no-porn” policy
• Michigan State Police download cell phone data during routine traffic stop
• New Year’s resolution: Petition Congress to pass the 28th Amendment
• Bill combating web piracy would give AG power to trample First Amendment Rights

Follow me on Twitter or join me at Facebook. You can reach me at howard.portnoy@gmail.com or by posting a comment below.

Blowback