INDIANAPOLIS – A Native American is asking a federal judge to order the state to allow him and others to exercise their religion in an Indiana prison.
Daniel Littlepage says in a class action lawsuit that Native American worship ceremonies were terminated at Indiana’s Miami Correctional Facility in 2013 because there were no outside volunteers to lead them. However, the lawsuit claims that the commission tasked with recommending such volunteers hasn’t met since 2007.
Littlepage’s lawsuit says the prison is violating his constitutional religious rights.
Littlepage is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana. It’s seeking an injunction that would allow Native Americans to resume their religious ceremonies. A hearing on Littlepage’s request is scheduled for Wednesday.
The Indiana attorney general’s office had no immediate comment on the case.
