FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jim Bray Feb. 29, 2016 217-494-5532 EXERCISE OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESULTS IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT Atheist expelled from prison substance abuse treatment program brings lawsuit against Illinois prison officials CHICAGO – An atheistic state prisoner has been expelled from a substance abuse treatment program at Sheridan Correctional Center and punished for refusing to stand during a prayer to God, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in the U.S. District Court. Diagnosed while in high school with a brain malformation, Rayshawn Vonperbandt underwent brain surgery and was prescribed addictive drugs for pain. Substance abuse treatment is critical to his recovery, but there is no secular substance abuse program available at Sheridan, according to the lawsuit. “Like all Americans, Rayshawn has a constitutional right to the free exercise of religion, which in Rayshawn’s case is atheism,” said David M. Shapiro, a clinical assistant professor of law and attorney for the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center at Northwestern University School of Law. “Because standing during the prayer would have violated his beliefs and conscience, he sat quietly without causing any disruption. Prison officials responded by expelling him from the substance abuse program, and they ordered him confined to his cell for 90 days without access to phone, exercise yard or gym.” Defendants in the suit are John R. Baldwin, Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Corrections; several IDOC staff; and Westcare Foundation, Inc., which is the IDOC contractor providing the substance abuse program at Sheridan. - more -
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FORIMMEDIATERELEASE CONTACT:JimBrayFeb.29,2016 217-494-5532 EXERCISEOFRELIGIOUSFREEDOMRESULTS
INSOLITARYCONFINEMENT
AtheistexpelledfromprisonsubstanceabusetreatmentprogrambringslawsuitagainstIllinoisprisonofficialsCHICAGO–AnatheisticstateprisonerhasbeenexpelledfromasubstanceabusetreatmentprogramatSheridanCorrectionalCenterandpunishedforrefusingtostandduringaprayertoGod,accordingtoalawsuitfiledMondayintheU.S.DistrictCourt.Diagnosedwhileinhighschoolwithabrainmalformation,RayshawnVonperbandtunderwentbrainsurgeryandwasprescribedaddictivedrugsforpain.Substanceabusetreatmentiscriticaltohisrecovery,butthereisnosecularsubstanceabuseprogramavailableatSheridan,accordingtothelawsuit.“LikeallAmericans,Rayshawnhasaconstitutionalrighttothefreeexerciseofreligion,whichinRayshawn’scaseisatheism,”saidDavidM.Shapiro,aclinicalassistantprofessoroflawandattorneyfortheRoderickandSolangeMacArthurJusticeCenteratNorthwesternUniversitySchoolofLaw.“Becausestandingduringtheprayerwouldhaveviolatedhisbeliefsandconscience,hesatquietlywithoutcausinganydisruption.Prisonofficialsrespondedbyexpellinghimfromthesubstanceabuseprogram,andtheyorderedhimconfinedtohiscellfor90dayswithoutaccesstophone,exerciseyardorgym.”DefendantsinthesuitareJohnR.Baldwin,ActingDirectoroftheIllinoisDepartmentofCorrections;severalIDOCstaff;andWestcareFoundation,Inc.,whichistheIDOCcontractorprovidingthesubstanceabuseprogramatSheridan.
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Page2Feb.29,2016ThesuitallegesalldefendantsviolatedVonperbandt’srighttofreeexerciseofhisreligionandviolatedthefederalReligiousLandUseandInstitutionalizedPersonsAct.ItseeksacourtorderremovingVonperbandtfromsolitaryconfinementandestablishingasecularsubstanceabuseprogramattheprison.
###AbouttheRoderickandSolangeMacArthurJusticeCenterTheRoderickandSolangeMacArthurJusticeCenteradvocatesforhumanrightsandsocialjusticethroughlitigation.Asoneofthenation'spremiercivilrightsorganizations,theMacArthurJusticeCenterhasplayedaprominentroleinbringingChicagopolicemisconductandtorturetothepublic'sattentionandhashelpedwrongfullyconvictedmenandwomenwinmulti-milliondollarverdictsandsettlementsascompensationforthetimetheyspentinprison.Foradditionalinformation,visithttp://www.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/macarthur/
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