http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2007/2/7/15100/75184 Every American citizen has the right to practice his or her religion - it says so in the US Constitution.  But, does practicing one's religion extend to allowing violent offenders behind bars to serve as quasi prison chaplains?  Does commenting or expounding on the gospel to prisoners behind bars constitute having a special "position of authority" in prison?  These questions are playing themselves out in a courtroom in federal court as an appeals court panel decides <a href="http://www.boston en-us Sat, 10 Feb 2007 20:43:35 EST Thu, 15 Feb 2007 15:24:15 EST http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2007/2/7/15100/75184#6 Yes, the new law seems very vague, and could easily be taken to read as requiring allowing such things as handing out books when he's supposed to be in his cell, but only if you had a federal judiciary which wanted to read it that way, and not the current Thu, 15 Feb 2007 15:24:15 EST http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2007/2/7/15100/75184#5 What interests me is what does the right to one's own religious practices really mean? <p> If Wesley Spratt was a Jehovah's Witness, would he be allowed to go from cell door to cell door, handing out copies of The Watchtower?<p> Somehow I don't think so.<b Tue, 13 Feb 2007 02:05:59 EST http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2007/2/7/15100/75184#4 Yep, there are protections in that ol Constitution regarding peoples' religions.  If part of their religion requires them to preach and look to convert others, then it is protected.  I think the nuance is that in prison many of our liberties are Mon, 12 Feb 2007 13:01:02 EST http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2007/2/7/15100/75184#3 From what I can tell is that the central issue is this...<p> <i>whether a convicted murderer has the right to preach to his fellow sinners behind bars.</i><p> From what I know about Christianity, this is a big part of the faith.  Something about folks Sun, 11 Feb 2007 12:29:21 EST http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2007/2/7/15100/75184#2 ... they find a copy of Senor Wences' seminal book on ventriloquism <i>I Throw The Voice: It's Alright, It's Alright</i>.  Seriously, I'm wondering if Spratt might not get smacked down on appeal (at whatever level).  Prison is not an easy place a Sun, 11 Feb 2007 11:19:10 EST http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2007/2/7/15100/75184#1 If he continues preaching, other than sewing his mouth shut, what are they going to do?  Sentence him to life in prison?  Ooops!  Too late! Sun, 11 Feb 2007 10:17:09 EST string http://www.treesandthings.com/search/