WHAT: On Feb. 6, Senator Dave Cortese’s office will hold a press conference announcing a bill authored by himself and sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, California which ensures the right to religious clothing, grooming, and headwear for Californians in state/county correctional and detention facilities.
SEE: Senator Cortese to Unveil Bill Protecting Inmate Religious Practices
WHEN: Monday, February 6, 2023, at 10 A.M.
WHERE: West Capitol Steps at the California State Capitol, 1315 10th St., Sacramento, CA 95814
WHO: Senator Dave Cortese & staff (Primary author), Council on American-Islamic Relations, California (Sponsor), Tayba Foundation
WHY: Currently, California lacks a consistent and codified policy for state and local correction and detention facilities ensuring the right to religious clothing, grooming, and headwear while in custody. While some counties have proactively adopted such policies as a result of litigation, where a local facility does not have a policy to address religious clothing, headwear or grooming, it is up to each individual to fight for their right to practice this dimension of their faith.
This bill will create a comprehensive statewide policy on religious clothing, grooming, and headwear accommodations for state and local correctional and detention facilities. Ultimately this bill will ensure that Muslims, Sikhs, Jews and other religious minorities incarcerated and in the custody of detention facilities across the state, have the right to exercise their religion.