Muslim prisoner gets second chance in religious subordination suit

Prison officials in Pennsylvania failed to adequately explain why they could not accommodate Muslim inmates' faith-based requests for conjugal visits, communal prayers or circumcision, a federal appeals court ruled, overturning a lower court's order granting summary judgment to the state and remanding the case.

Pennsylvania Department of Justice officials failed to meet the strict standard of review under the Religious Land Use and Institutional Persons Act when they denied Fernando Nunez Jr.'s request for accommodation, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled unanimously Tuesday. The Justice Department failed to show that its denial of Nunez's requests served his “alleged compelling interests of safety, security, …