Solar eclipse: 6 prisoners are allowed to see the phenomenon – 04/05/2024 – Science

The department responsible for prisons in New York, in the United States, granted authorization this Thursday (4) so ​​that six men can see the total solar eclipse next Monday (8), after they go to court. They will be an exception, since the sector decided to keep the remaining inmates in cells during the phenomenon.

The six men are from Woodbourne Correctional Facility, which is in Sullivan County. Last week, they filed a lawsuit arguing that the blockade during the eclipse violated their constitutional right to practice their religions.

Although they have different religious backgrounds, they maintained that the eclipse “is a religious event that they must witness and reflect on to observe their faith,” according to court documents.

“This is a huge victory for them,” said Chris McArdle, one of the lawyers who represented them. “We’re keeping our fingers crossed that it doesn’t get cloudy or rainy so they can practice their religious beliefs, which is the outcome we always wanted.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said in a statement that the court case has reached “an appropriate resolution.”

Jeremy Zielinski, one of the men who filed the lawsuit, asked in January for permission to watch the eclipse from Woodbourne’s main courtyard. In his written request to prison authorities, the inmate, who is an atheist, said he believes eclipses are times to “celebrate science, reason and all things atheism.”

After the request was approved in March, other inmates told Zielinski they also believed eclipses were religiously significant events. He then requested prison authorities to allow others to watch the eclipse alongside him.

“It would be sad to be the only person able to see this event,” Zielinski wrote in the request. He added that “eclipses are important because they inspire awe and deep reflection, and are a rare opportunity for everyone to come together, enjoy our common humanity, and share the joy of being alive.”

Days later, the corrections department announced that all New York prisons would be closed during the solar eclipse, whose path of totality includes 29 counties in the north and west of the state.

“Incarcerated individuals will remain in the housing units except in emergency situations,” Daniel F. Martuscello, the department’s acting commissioner, wrote in a state memo, which was first reported by the news website Hell Gate.

These measures, the commissioner said in the memo, are intended to “ensure the safety of staff, visitors, and the inmate population, and ensure the integrity of our facilities during the event.”

Until Thursday night (4), the exceptional authorization was only valid for the six men who filed the lawsuit.

Other people in state prisons who want to observe the eclipse for religious reasons can request permission, McArdle said.

“We were always optimistic that we would have a decision this week,” said the lawyer, from Alston & Bird, who represented the men without charge. “I think it was with the help of the court that we got this result with adequate time before the eclipse.”