Muslim prisoner can grow his beard: US Supreme Court

The US Supreme Court ruled unanimously Tuesday that an Arkansas prison cannot prevent a Muslim inmate from wearing a half-inch long beard, in keepinng with his religious beliefs. The case was brought by Gregory Holt, also known as Abdul Maalik Muhammad, who is serving a life sentence for a domestic violence conviction. Holt, a Muslim, wants to be allowed to grow a 0.5-inch (one-centimeter long) beard - twice as long as the 0.25-inch limit allowed under prison rules.
In the decision written by Justice Samuel Alito, the US high court said the prison restrictions violate Holt's constitutional rights to freedom of religion. Prison officials, Alito wrote, have given the inmate the option of either "engaging in conduct that seriously violates his religious belief, or contravening the grooming policy and risking disciplinary action." The court heard arguments in the case in October. Forty of the 50 US states allow prisoners to wear a trim beard. Arkansas is among the 10 remaining states restricting that right, for security reasons.