(RNS) A New Jersey inmate who was ordained a Pentecostal minister in prison nine years ago but was banned from preaching behind bars won back that right in a negotiated settlement stemming from his lawsuit.
Howard N. Thompson Jr., convicted of murder in 1985 and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison, had preached at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton regularly for years until corrections officers prohibited preaching by inmates in 2007.
The settlement was negotiated between the state attorney general and the American Civil Liberties Union, working on Thompson’s behalf.
The agreement, which does not allow Thompson to lead religious services, lets him preach with the consent of a prison chaplain or volunteer leading the service. It requires him to provide an advance outline of his sermon to the chaplain or volunteer. He can also lecture or teach at Bible study classes under the same conditions.
In his lawsuit filed a year ago against prison officials and the state Department of Corrections, Thompson said the prohibition stripped him of an essential component of his Christian faith, served no practical role in prison management and violated a federal law that protects inmates’ rights.
“We’re extremely pleased with this result and gratified that Mr. Thompson can resume preaching,” said Daniel Mach, director of litigation for the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief.
“The fundamental right to practice one’s faith applies both inside and outside the prison gates.”
The potential impact of the settlement remains unclear; the agreement does not specify whether new guidelines would cover only Thompson or the entire inmate population.
In a statement provided by the ACLU, Thompson, 45, said he believes he has been called to preach.
“The (prison) ban prevented me from responding to my religious calling to minister to my fellow inmates, something I had done honestly, effectively and without any incident for years,” Thompson said in the statement. “All I have ever wanted was to have my religious rights restored so that I could continue working with men who want to renew their lives through the study and practice of their faith.”
