Brown et al., v Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Department

Brown et al., v Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Department 

Since October 1, 2014, Miami-Dade County and the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department (MDCR) has explicitly singled out Muslim inmates to be denied Halal meals or other faith-based meals that comply with their religious beliefs, while providing faith-based meals to inmates of other religions.  The ACLU of Florida and the Council on American-Islamic Relations Florida (CAIR-FL) filed a lawsuit on behalf of plaintiffs Derrick Issac Brown, Christopher Adams James, Hardin Gerard JeanPierre, and Mauricio Humberto Rivas-Penailillo, challenging the meals  policy that violates their rights to religious freedom and equal protection.  Prior to the lawsuit, upon receiving over 35 complaints from inmates, CAIR-FL and the ACLU attempted to persuade MDCR and the County to revert to the earlier policy of providing Muslim inmates with Kosher meals, which are Halal-compliant, or else providing them with Halal meals, which are usually cheaper to provide than Kosher meals.  When the County and MDCR refused, the ACLU and CAIR-FL filed the suit to protect the rights of Muslim inmates.”

 

Legal Documents:

Complaint (09/03/2015)

Motion to Certify Class (09/03/2015)

Motion for Preliminary Injunction (10/08/2015)

Plaintiff's Opposition to Motion to Dismiss (10/26/2015)