Work

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Access2Faith Prison Project works in diplomatic, bureaucratic, legal, and PR tracks to further its mission of ensuring fair treatment of prisoners under the law.

access2faith:

To systematically track prison-related civil rights cases, document grievance exhaustion, preserve institutional records, and assess potential legal and advocacy pathways - particularly involving religious rights, retaliation, and conditions of confinement. 

A2F PRISON ADVOCACY PRIORITIES

1: ACCESS TO FAITH 

 

  • Denying Access to Jummah Prayer is Unacceptable 

  • Solution: Each facility must have Jummah Prayer on Fridays and should create a plan to do so that fits their security restrictions and is not reliant on volunteers from the community to be in attendance for Jummah prayer to occur.  

  • Management of Lists should not be as complicated and contentious as it is right now. No individual should have to wait months to be put on a list, nor should they be tested/questioned about their reversion to Islam.  

  • Solution: Anyone who indicates to the chaplain that they are Muslim should be put on every list dictating Muslim accessibility in prison, including but not limited to prayer, Eid, Ramadan, Talim services, and halal food.  

  • A lack of Talim services in comparison to Christian education in prisons provides an undue burden on Muslims to try and seek out religious education. 

  • Solution: The A2F Prison Project must develop a robust network for Islamic education in its partnership with local masjids that prisons can rely on week in and week out.  

2: HALAL FOOD 

 

  • Halal meals need to be centralized across all of the prisons in IDOC. Not only should they be centralized, but they also should be adequate halal meals. 

  • Solution: We are open to IDOC proposing what they think an adequate halal meal is. Our idea of an adequate meal is one that is not cold, has variety each week (not the same meal 2-3 times a week), and contains the following food groups: Meat (Protein) - Zabiha, Carb/Starch - Rice/Bread, Fruit, and Fresh Salad.  

3. CHAPLAIN/STATEWIDE

OVERSIGHT 

  • We need improved oversight over the chaplains in IDOC facilities. They are given too much power and leeway to run religious operations in the prison.  

  • Solution: We need a new head of Muslim Affairs in the Religious Practice Advisory Board. Without new statewide oversight, chaplains will continue to have unbounded power.  

  • Solution: We need to create a diversified way of submitting complaints to IDOC: direct chaplain advocacy, IDOC lawyer advocacy, Rep Rashid’s IDOC complaint channel, and litigation. 

4: ANTI-MUSLIM SENTIMENT

IN PRISONS 

As a larger goal, we need to work to combat the anti-Muslim sentiment in Prisons.  Outstanding Question: How do we do this? 

  • Halal Meal Provisions  

    Evaluate each facility’s compliance with religious-diet obligations by documenting: 

    • Whether halal meals are available 

    • Consistency and nutritional adequacy of meals 

    • Substitutions offered in place of halal meals 

    • Frequency and duration of denials or interruptions 

    • Retaliation or punitive consequences following requests 

    • IFANCA Grant – See how we can meet their requirements  

    • Muslim Civic Coalition task force– Implementation  

     Prayer Accommodations 

    Track whether individuals can engage in required prayer practices, including: 

    • Ability to perform daily prayers without interference 

    • Access to clean and appropriate prayer space 

    • Accommodation for Jumu’ah (Friday congregational prayer) and religious holidays 

    • Identify conflicts with schedules, work assignments, personnel availability, or lockdowns 

    • Approval processes, chaplain involvement, and delays 

    • Disparate treatment compared to other faith groups 

    • Whether restrictions substantially burden religious exercise 

     

    Religious Attire and Materials Provision  

    Track access to religious materials, including: 

    • Qur’ans, prayer rugs, hijabs, kufis, and other required items 

    • Restrictions, confiscations, or delays 

    • Approval processes and chaplain/volunteer involvement  

    • Disparate treatment compared to other faith groups 

    Chaplain-held religious materials (where items are not permitted in cells), including: 

    • Ather/itar (natural perfume oil worn for Jumu’ah prayers) 

    • Prayer beads (tasbih/rosary) 

    • Policies governing storage with the chaplain, access procedures, and frequency of use 

     

    Ramadan Accommodations (PRIORITY) 

    Track whether individuals are able to observe Ramadan in accordance with their religious beliefs, including: 

    • Access to suhoor and iftar meals at appropriate times 

    • Ability to fast without penalty or retaliation 

    • Accommodations for prayer and nightly observance/prayer (Taraweeh) during Ramadan 

    • Meal quality, caloric adequacy, and consistency 

    • Approval processes, chaplain involvement, and delays 

    • Disparate treatment compared to other religious observances 

    • Whether restrictions substantially burden religious exercise 

    Chaplain Oversight & Accountability  

    For each facility: 

    • Chaplain and volunteer name(s) and role 

    • Employer or contractor 

    • Contact information 

    • Religious-services policies and oversight structure 

    Used to identify responsible actors and compliance failures. 

     

    Gathering Complaints Against IDOC – Religious Discrimination 

    To identify patterns of religious discrimination by IDOC, the project will gather and analyze prior complaints using multiple strategies: 

    A. FOIA & Public Records Requests 

    • Requests to IDOC for: 

    • Complaints alleging religious discrimination 

    • Internal investigations and outcomes 

    • Policies governing religious accommodations 

    • Requests to oversight entities (e.g., Inspector General, DOJ, state agencies) 

    B. Administrative Charge Review 

    • Review complaints filed with: 

    • Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) 

    • U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division 

    • Identify allegations involving denial of halal meals or religious materials 

    C. Litigation & Docket Research 

    • Identify lawsuits against IDOC involving: 

    • First Amendment religious-exercise claims 

    • RLUIPA violations 

    • Extract facility-specific patterns and named officials 

    D. Community & Advocacy Intake 

    • Cross-reference intakes from community organizations, families, and advocates 

    • Track repeat facilities, chaplains, or administrators 

    E. Internal Pattern-Building 

    • Aggregate project cases to identify: 

    • Repeat facilities 

    • Repeat forms of denial 

    • Systemic policy failures 

    Findings will be summarized in a Pattern-and-Practice Memo for leadership.