SOUTHFIELD — The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) recently welcomed the settlement of a lawsuit against the St. Clair County Sheriff to modify the religious dietary screening process at the county’s jail. 

The lawsuit challenged the constitutionality of the jail’s religious dietary screening process after Aaron Utley, a former inmate at the jail, was denied a halal diet request.

The policy required inmates of different faiths, including Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians to pass a detailed test written by the jail that judged their knowledge of scripture in order to receive a religious diet.

Utley was denied a halal food diet after receiving a “failing” grade on the Islamic test. The new policy that went into effect eliminates the religious test, and it further requires the jail to allow inmates requesting a religious diet to provide letters attesting to their faith by members of clergy and offer other evidence supporting the sincerity of their religious beliefs. 

It also allows the inmates an opportunity to explain the sincerity of their belief in words. “We welcome the jail’s decision to modify the religious dietary screening policy to one that does not violate the constitutional rights of inmates of all faith backgrounds requesting a religious diet,” said CAIR-MI Staff Attorney Lena Masri. 

Shereef Akeel, of Akeel and Valentine, PLC, is co-counsel on the lawsuit. CAIR-MI has also filed a lawsuit on behalf of several Muslim inmates against the Michigan Department of Corrections for the denial of an adequate diet during the yearly month-long fast of Ramadan.

CAIR offers an educational booklet, called “A Correctional Institution’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices,” to help correctional officers gain a better understanding of Islam and Muslims.