Atheist Inmate's Victory: Judge Rules Against Forced Religious Rehab

In a landmark case, a West Virginia federal judge ruled that forcing an atheist inmate to partake in a religiously-affiliated substance abuse program for parole eligibility infringed upon his rights, marking a significant victory for secular rights within the criminal justice system. The incarcerated individual, Andrew Miller, filed a lawsuit against the West Virginia state government last April, accusing it of enforcing Christianity on prisoners and disregarding his atheism. In a decision that underscored the constitutional implications of such a mandate, Judge Joseph Goodwin wrote, "Mr. Miller to choose between two distinct but equally irreparable injuries.” Miller was either to "submit to government coercion and engage in religious exercise at odds with his own beliefs” or “remain incarcerated until at least April 2025.” Judge Goodwin subsequently requested a preliminary injunction to expunge completion of the religiously-affiliated program from Miller’s parole requirements. The case drew attention to many substance abuse programs' inherently religious nature, raising constitutional questions regarding their mandatory nature for inmates. In response to the ruling, Geoffrey T Blackwell, litigation counsel for American Atheists, remarked, “Without Andrew’s willingness to take on this fight, West Virginia would continue to unconstitutionally impose religion on people in its corrections system.”

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