[ti:US Prisoners Suing to Watch Total Eclipse after Lockdown Order]
[al:As It Is]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2024-04-04]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]Prisoners in the U.S. state of New York have taken legal action against the state corrections department. 
[00:10.61]They started the measure over the state's decision to lock down prisons during next Monday's total solar eclipse.
[00:21.65]The case was filed last week in a federal court in upstate New York. 
[00:28.70]It argues that the April 8 lockdown violate prisoners' constitutional rights to practice their faiths by preventing them from taking part in an important religious event.
[00:46.55]Six prisoners with different religious backgrounds brought forward the case at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility in Woodbourne, New York.
[01:01.38]They include two Christians, two followers of a Cuban-born religious tradition called Santeria, a Muslim as well as an atheist, someone who does not believe in the existence of God.
[01:19.24]Their legal document, or complaint, says, "A solar eclipse is a rare, natural phenomenon with great religious significance to many."
[01:34.16]It says the Bible describes an eclipse-like phenomenon when Jesus Christ was on the cross.
[01:42.96]Additionally, Islamic works report a similar event when the Prophet Muhammad's son died.
[01:52.00]The complaint says that one of the prisoners involved with the case, the atheist, received special permission last month to view the eclipse using state-provided glasses.
[02:09.04]But that was before the system-wide lockdown was issued.
[02:14.92]Four of the other prisoners involved with the case then sought permission but were denied by officials.
[02:23.88]The officials ruled the solar eclipse is not listed as a holy day for their religions, the complaint says. 
[02:34.48]The sixth prisoner said he never received an answer.
[02:39.27]Thomas Mailey is a corrections department spokesperson. 
[02:45.47]He said the agency does not comment on current court cases. 
[02:51.59]But he said it takes all requests for religious accommodations under consideration. 
[03:00.00]He said those related to viewing the eclipse are currently under review.
[03:07.91]Daniel Martuscello III overseas the department.
[03:13.99]He issued a message on March 11 saying that all state prisons will operate on a holiday daily plan next Monday.
[03:26.46]That means prisoners will remain in their housing areas except for emergency situations in the afternoon, between 18:00 and 21:00 UTC. 
[03:42.93]Those are generally the normal hours for outdoor activities in prisons, the court case says.
[03:52.18]There will also be no visitation at more than 20 prisons in the path where the solar eclipse will be strongest, called the path of totality, next Monday. 
[04:07.78]Visitation at other prisons will end at 18:00 UTC.
[04:15.42]Martuscello said the department will give out solar eclipse safety glasses for prisoner employees and prisoners at prisons in the path of totality. 
[04:30.45]They are doing this so they can see the eclipse from their work or housing areas.
[04:37.43]Communities in western and northern areas of the state are expected to have the best viewing of the total eclipse.
[04:48.40]Those areas include Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Lake Placid, and Plattsburgh.
[04:58.23]The total eclipse is expected to be seen in those parts of New York around 19:15 UTC. 
[05:08.35]And it will only last for a few minutes as the moon passes between Earth and the sun.
[05:16.38]It will temporarily block the sun and turn day into night.
[05:22.35]A total solar eclipse was last seen in the U.S. in 2017 and will not occur in the country again until 2044.
[05:35.85]I'm Gregory Stachel.